Christian Blind Mission
979. Andy Pyott
Dr Andy Pyott, from Inverness, is an Ophthalmologist who volunteers his skills and expertise to train local medics across Indonesia.
Andy visits the country twice a year with international Christian disability and development charity ‘Christian Blind Mission (CBM)’, to carry out training, complete vital evaluation of new projects and advise the Ministry of Health. In between trips he organises visits by other UK medics, including experts from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and specialists in retinoblastoma and diabetic retinopathy. He is also the driving force behind a programme linking the eye departments at the University of Dundee and Hasanuddin University Hospital in Makassar.
In a personal letter to Dr Andy Pyott, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“By lending your expertise to medics in Indonesia, you are ensuring the care and support local people receive is improving for the long term. Your ability to inspire other experts to join this important mission is a wonderful achievement.”
Dr Andy Pyott said:
“I am still a bit overwhelmed by this award, but recognise that it is really an recognition of the fantastic work that ‘CBM’ does in the elimination of avoidable blindness. My role has been to enable and encourage others, to take on and develop their remits. n Indonesia it has been remarkable to see many take on and develop services in a way that even they would have not thought possible twelve years ago. I rejoice in the awards that some of them have already received.
“From a professional point of view, I have been stimulated to develop skills and interests that I didn’t have before, and I have gained a wonderful new set of friends. I am very grateful to NHS Highland for granting me some special leave to be involved in this work I also acknowledge the Health Service in Scotland who are developing a program of support for staff to undertake such volunteering as part of their Global Citizenship Programme. I have witnessed first-hand how the poorest of the world are most disadvantaged in the receipt of health services, and how they carry the burden of disability. There is still much to be done to redress this imbalance.”