Chernobyl children given free eye assessments

Child patients visiting from Chernobyl were provided with complimentary eye care at Edmonds & Slatter Opticians in Glenfield.

The optical team provided an extra sight test clinic for 13 children on a visit arranged by the Friends of Chernobyl’s Children charity (Markfield Branch).

It was part of a four-week recuperative visit to the UK which will help build up their immune systems.

At home in Belarus the radioactive contamination from the 1986 nuclear accident still affects the atmosphere resulting in the children being at high risk of contracting cancer or leukaemia, Edmonds & Slatter said.

‘A month of care in the UK boosts their shattered immune systems and can extend their lifespan by up to two years,’ a statement by the practice added.