Eye exams seek to improve outlook for rural Romanian kids

Sometimes a simple test can change a life

NUCSOARA -- Sometimes, one simple test can change a life. Dozens of Romanian children had their eyes examined for the first time in a remote area of the southern Carpathian Mountains. The humanitarian organization Casa Buna, or Good House, arranged the eye tests in Nucsoara, which comprises several villages. Routine eye exams are recommended from early infancy, but many children in the impoverished rural community had never been screened by an ophthalmologist. “Given that out of 30 children tested, 20 needed glasses, I think such ophthalmic caravans are needed in as many villages in the country as possible,” Mioara Marinescu, the volunteer ophthalmologist at Saturday's event, told The Associated Press.