Hundreds of people suffering from cataract have come to the luweero hospital to get free cataract screening and surgery in a two days eye health camp organized by Helping Hand for Relief and Development HHRD.
According to Haruna Kibirige – HHRD Coordinator in Uganda, this eye medical and surgical camp was organised with findings from HHRD to reduce avoidable vision impairment mostly vulnerables who can’t afford treatment from other hospitals and eye specialists.
” we chose Luweero because its had an eye clinic with health workers who can do a good job of screening the patient and know those who need surgery and later also monitor them in their course of healing.” Said Haruna.
Globally, at least 2.2 billion people suffer from near blindness or long-distance visual impairment and among at least one billion of these, visual impairment could be avoided. Almost 90 per cent of visually impaired people live in developing countries like Uganda. 5.9 per cent of the population is visually impaired, or six out of every 100 people, while 144,000 people are completely blind.
“Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in the country and also world wide. However the good news, cataract can be treated through surgery and people can see again.” Said Dr kalinaki Abubakar for Diopta eye care centre and one of the eye specialists who lead the medical camp.
“Eye health is very important its through check or examination that one can know what is causing health illness in his or her eyes” Dr. Abubakar added.
Doctor also urged patients worked on to be the ambassadors on their villages as they tell those who are blind to always seek for medical attentions from the nearby health facilities in order to limit on blindness caused by cataracts.
According to Nsanziiro Huzaifah- HHRD media personal in Uganda, this two- day camp managed to medically examine over 100 patients who underwent cataract surgeries, in addition to providing medicines, treatment and free counselling. He also thanks the management of Helping Hand for Relief and Development for always giving Uganda opportunities of helping the needy in terms of education, health, food and among others.
