Eye camp restores sight to the cataract-blinded poor
The directorate of health in the Oshana Region has expressed delight about the success of the government-sponsored intervention aimed at preventing, controlling and eradicating blindness in northern communities.
The national annual free eye surgery campaign is meant to benefit poor and disadvantaged Namibians who cannot afford eye healthcare services.
The Oshakati Intermediate Hospital started the programme on 16 June and it is expected to end tomorrow.
About 500 patients are expected to benefit from the programme, which has targeted 300 patients.
It is led by a team of five local and two foreign ophthalmologists.
According to the regional health director for Oshana, Johanna Haimene, this free campaign started in 1996 and has restored the sight of 5 496 patients in the region to date.
“It could be stated with confidence that these beneficiaries can now look after themselves and their families as they have once again became productive and independent members of the society after regaining their sight. All these operations have taken place at the intermediate hospital in Oshakati,” Haimene said.
The head of ophthalmology at the Windhoek Central Hospital, Dr Sven Obholzer, speaking on behalf of the award-winning Dr Helena Ndume, told said this year, although the target is to treat 300 patients in Oshakati, the turnout is very high and since the operations started last week Friday, the team had operated 250 patients by Tuesday and more than 100 patients were expected to be operated Wednesday.
“We have a dedicated team of nursing staff and professional ophthalmologists, both local and foreign. We were in Keetmanshoop last month and from Oshakati we are going to the Engela, Oshikuku and Rundu hospitals. The community outreach is perfect and we are expecting a high turnout in all hospitals this year,” Obholzer said.
He also said the operation is headed by Professor Christoph Faschinger, a volunteer from the Austrian Association without Frontiers who is in Namibia with his daughter who is also an eye surgeon. Obholzer, together with the resident eye surgeon for the Oshakati hospital, Dr Gustave Shembo, are also part of the team as are ophthalmologists from the Ongwediva MediPark private hospital.
Cataract challenges
Haimene said the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated at least 1% of the Namibian population would be blind from various cases, mainly cataracts, glaucoma and corneal disorders.
Cataracts alone are thought to account for 50% of the total blindness figure in the country.
“Cataracts are the clouding of human lens leading to the gradual loss of transparency and decreased vision in one or both eyes. Among the main causes are congenital factors, ageing, ocular trauma and complications resulting from other systemic diseases and conditions. The aim of this programme is to restore sight and prevent and eradicate blindness in the country.”
According to 87-year-old Thomas Iipinge from Ongwediva and 94-year-old Natalia Hangalo from Ongha, one of their eyes have already been operated and they are back for the final one for the complete restoration of their eyesight.
According to Shembo, the sight restoration process is done on eye at a time. He also said patients can also visit the Oshakati hospital anytime because it is equipped with medically advanced and modern technology used to prevent blindness caused by cataracts.
“Even if the patient has blindness in both eyes, we first operate one eye before they come back to be operated on the remaining eye. We fear that if we operate both eyes a complication might occur that will cause total blindness,” Shembo said.
ILENI NANDJATO
The national annual free eye surgery campaign is meant to benefit poor and disadvantaged Namibians who cannot afford eye healthcare services.
The Oshakati Intermediate Hospital started the programme on 16 June and it is expected to end tomorrow.
About 500 patients are expected to benefit from the programme, which has targeted 300 patients.
It is led by a team of five local and two foreign ophthalmologists.
According to the regional health director for Oshana, Johanna Haimene, this free campaign started in 1996 and has restored the sight of 5 496 patients in the region to date.
“It could be stated with confidence that these beneficiaries can now look after themselves and their families as they have once again became productive and independent members of the society after regaining their sight. All these operations have taken place at the intermediate hospital in Oshakati,” Haimene said.
The head of ophthalmology at the Windhoek Central Hospital, Dr Sven Obholzer, speaking on behalf of the award-winning Dr Helena Ndume, told said this year, although the target is to treat 300 patients in Oshakati, the turnout is very high and since the operations started last week Friday, the team had operated 250 patients by Tuesday and more than 100 patients were expected to be operated Wednesday.
“We have a dedicated team of nursing staff and professional ophthalmologists, both local and foreign. We were in Keetmanshoop last month and from Oshakati we are going to the Engela, Oshikuku and Rundu hospitals. The community outreach is perfect and we are expecting a high turnout in all hospitals this year,” Obholzer said.
He also said the operation is headed by Professor Christoph Faschinger, a volunteer from the Austrian Association without Frontiers who is in Namibia with his daughter who is also an eye surgeon. Obholzer, together with the resident eye surgeon for the Oshakati hospital, Dr Gustave Shembo, are also part of the team as are ophthalmologists from the Ongwediva MediPark private hospital.
Cataract challenges
Haimene said the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated at least 1% of the Namibian population would be blind from various cases, mainly cataracts, glaucoma and corneal disorders.
Cataracts alone are thought to account for 50% of the total blindness figure in the country.
“Cataracts are the clouding of human lens leading to the gradual loss of transparency and decreased vision in one or both eyes. Among the main causes are congenital factors, ageing, ocular trauma and complications resulting from other systemic diseases and conditions. The aim of this programme is to restore sight and prevent and eradicate blindness in the country.”
According to 87-year-old Thomas Iipinge from Ongwediva and 94-year-old Natalia Hangalo from Ongha, one of their eyes have already been operated and they are back for the final one for the complete restoration of their eyesight.
According to Shembo, the sight restoration process is done on eye at a time. He also said patients can also visit the Oshakati hospital anytime because it is equipped with medically advanced and modern technology used to prevent blindness caused by cataracts.
“Even if the patient has blindness in both eyes, we first operate one eye before they come back to be operated on the remaining eye. We fear that if we operate both eyes a complication might occur that will cause total blindness,” Shembo said.
ILENI NANDJATO
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