Kocur I., Klauss V. on behalf of the international study group

Department of Ophthalmology, Vinohrady Teaching Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Ophthalmology, Ludvig Maximilians University, Muenchen, Germany

Purpose: To describe eye healthcare services as of 1998 and to identify the ways for their development in twelve Eastern European countries.
Methods: All 467 in-patient eye departments in the region received a questionnaire to summarise their eye care services.
Results: Healthcare services for eye disorders were comprehensively evaluated. Cataract surgical rate was calculated: Estonia (2,530), Latvia (1,860), Lithuania (1,550), Poland (1,280), Czech Republic (4,210), Slovak Republic (2,430), Hungary (3,530), Romania (1,260), Bulgaria (1,730), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1,275), Moldova (1,300), and Belarus (800). Cataracts were mostly operated on by the extracapsular technique. The highest volume of vitreoretinal surgeries per one million inhabitants was in Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, and Romania. The availability of laser treatment for diabetic eye complications reflected the number of people per one retinal laser (in mil.): Estonia (0.24), Latvia (0.41), Lithuania (0.62), Poland (0.36), Czech Republic (0.22), Slovak Republic (0.14), Hungary (0.23), Romania (2.25), Bulgaria (0.59), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2.23), and Belarus (1.26).
Conclusions: The main barriers to cataract surgery were: state budget limitations, insufficient supply of consumables, and under-utilisation of operating theatres; improvement of posterior eye segment surgery requires further training of surgeons and essential technical equipment for places in need.

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