Rosemary Copeland helped establish the Ophthalmology Outreach Program across the Top End, ensuring that everyone can access eye care.
Over the past 12 years, Rosemary has travelled in small planes from Darwin to remote communities for three weeks of every month to deliver life-changing eye care treatments to thousands of patients. She’s had patients arriving at her clinics by boat during floods, and she’s used dinghies to reach patients separated by water. She’s persevered through perilous wet season flying conditions and the occasional snake in her room.
Rosemary and her team restore sight to hundreds of people each year. In 2023 this included 1,059 episodes of care, 96 cataract and pterygium surgeries and 158 minor procedures, such as laser and intravitreal injections. Rosemary is a role model for the ophthalmology trainees, orthoptists and medical students she includes on her adventures – epitomising culturally safe eye care.