FORMER Taree man Jason Booth has been recognised for his contributions to Australian optometry, being named a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours on June 13.
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Jason, who grew up in Pampoolah and attended Taree High School, was recognised for his contribution as a clinical educator to professional organisations and to international humanitarian eye care programs.
Jason, who has been a clinical educator and lecturer at South Australia’s Flinders University for the last two years, said the award came as a surprise.
“It wasn’t something I looked for or even thought about,” Jason said.
Upon finishing school in Taree, Jason studied in Sydney at the University of NSW and then took a job at Broken Hill for four and a half years.
He then moved to Adelaide and has been there ever since.
Central to his Queen’s honours recognition was his aid work in Nepal, which he has carried out over the last 15 years through the Rotary Australia World Community Service.
Jason co-ordinates the aid trips as team leader for the Rotary Australia World Community Service Eye Camp, with teams ranging in size from just two people up to 25.
Jason’s trip in February earlier this year was the 21st time he has visited the country.
With all eyes services privatised in Nepal and with no government systems in place, Jason and his team’s work includes distributing glasses, testing eyes and identifying people who need surgery.
Jason explained that the team also works “in the background” to upskill local services.
Such is the need for eye care in the country that the aid team has treated up to 8000 cases over the course of a two week trip.
The aid trips have also been extended to remote Mongolia, which Jason explained was “the other extreme” to Nepal, with all hospitals operated by the government.
But with 50 per cent of the Mongolian population still nomadic, the issue was ensuring they had access to eye care services.
In the last three years Jason has taken final-year students studying optometry at Flinders University to Nepal with him, an experience he described as “invaluable” for the students.
Jason said that he owes the award to the many team members he has worked alongside in Nepal and Mongolia.
“This award is recognition for their work and efforts,” Jason said.
