Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital & Heart Centre have given 15 elderly patients the gift of better sight.
As part of Eye Care Awareness Month, which is commemorated from September 21 to October 18, the private hospital performed cataract-removal surgeries on patients from indigent communities.
The World Health Organization says cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness on the continent of Africa.
The WHO said more than 100 million people could be blind from cataracts, despite cataract surgeries being among the most cost-effective health interventions.
Ophthalmic surgeon at Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital & Heart Centre, Dr Kavitha Naidu said this project is done every year, and the whole drive is to cut down on the cataract backlog that is prevalent in KwaZulu-Natal.
Naidu said some patients spend more than two years on the waiting list.
Naidu, who performed the surgeries on her birthday, said it was very rewarding for her to help patients see better.
"My interest and passion grew from watching my father, who was also an ophthalmologist. I went to work with him and learnt about what he did when I was a child. We spent most afternoons after school at his practice, where he had a separate lounge, and we would wait with him to go home.
“That is when I got the opportunity to see what he did. I also went to the theatre with him and watched him operate. Helping people who can’t afford private healthcare is very fulfilling, and it's a yearly initiative that we do at Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital & Heart Centre. It feels great to give back to the community. Ophthalmology has been a calling for me, and I love what I do,” Naidu said.
Dr Bhavna Jugadoe, also an ophthalmologist at Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital & Heart Centre, said the patients were referred to the hospital from McCords Eye Hospital through the Into the Light Foundation, a non-government organisation that works to alleviate the backlog of patients in urgent need of cataract surgery.
"The intention is to select indigent patients with advanced cataracts in both eyes, thereby treating reversible blindness at no cost to these patients," she added.
Jugadoe said her oldest patients were 90 and 92 years old and both suffered low vision in both eyes. They are just two in a long list of people who ha ve no other option but to wait up to two years for this life-changing procedure.
She has been involved in the corporate social investment initiative for the past decade.
"This is an excellent example of the inspiring and long-standing collaboration between the public and private sectors as well as the NGOs in order to help patients with impaired vision from cataracts," she said.
Jugadoe said being able to provide the service is immensely rewarding and an incredible way of giving back to the community.
One beneficiary of the procedure, 80-year-old Canuth Nikubayo, expressed his delight at being able to see clearly once again.
“This is a real blessing. It’s not easy when you get old, but I thank God for this gift,” he said.
Commenting after her surgery, beneficiary Viraragavadu Baraspathy, aged 77, said her vision was severely impaired due to the cataracts.
“I was operated on by Dr Kavitha Naidu, and she was outstanding. I am able to function as a normal human being. It is amazing, and I am truly grateful," he said.
Another beneficiary, Pauline Esterhuizen, said she was looking forward to seeing her grandchildren clearly again, especially for Christmas.
Naidu advised people to care for their eyes by seeing an ophthalmologist at least once a year, especially if they have been diagnosed with diabetes.
"Taking responsibility for your own vision is extremely important, and should you have any problems or concerns with deteriorating vision, you should see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible," she said.
Ethekwini Lenmed Hospital and Heart Centre CEO Niresh Bechan said that pro-bono work was something that specialists took great pride in doing.
“There is a long waiting list of patients at State hospitals who need healthcare, and at Lenmed, we routinely try to ease the backlog by providing free treatment wherever possible,” Bechan said.
IOL