Rolling UD eye clinic returns to Bundaberg

The 4x2 UD Quon GK underpinning the St John Eye Van will soon be improving the eye health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in and around Bundaberg, with the vital service returning to the Wide Bay Burnett region for the first time since 2018.

UD Trucks Australia has partnered with St John Ambulance Queensland to deliver the St John Eye Van, which gives regional patients access to an ophthalmologist, optometrist and orthoptist to reduce the risk of blindness from sight-threatening conditions like diabetic retinopathy.

The truck is the first of its kind globally, and with UD’s support the St John Eye Van has been delivering world-class facilities to rural and remote communities to reduce blindness and vision impairment since 2013, treating over 7000 patients in the process.

According to Lauren Pulitano, Vice President of UD Trucks Australia, the initiative has had a huge impact on the Queensland communities it serves.

“The Eye Van is a true testament to St John’s dedication to improving quality of life and to see this impact is very special,” she said.

“At UD Trucks, our purpose is Better Life, and we are proud to be a partner of St John and the Eye Van and to have our UD Quon GK 4x2 prime mover powering the clinic across Queensland, allowing St John’s incredible team to deliver life-changing ophthalmology services to rural and remote communities that need it most.”

First Nations people can be at greater risk of developing Type I and Type II diabetes, while those who are diagnosed are three times more likely to suffer from diabetic retinopathy. One in three people diagnosed with the latter will experience vision loss but, thankfully, 94 per cent of cases are curable or treatable with early diagnosis.

The expansion of the St John Eye Van program comes as the ‘profit-for-purpose’ charity marks its 140th anniversary in June, and in a year where UD trucks is celebrating 50 years in Australia.

The General Manager of Ophthalmic Programs for St John Ambulance Queensland, Lyndall De Marco, underlined the importance of the initiative.

“Our sight-saving program reduces preventable blindness through our mobile ophthalmic treatment facility,” she said. “The St John Eye Van travels to rural and remote First Nations communities across Queensland, making it possible for more ophthalmologists to bring their expertise to people who are marginalised due to distance and access.”