Over 200 cataract patients benefit from free surgery

More than 200 individuals suffering from cataract have undergone free successful surgery at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.

The beneficiaries comprised the aged, youth and children who were recommended for surgery following the screening of about 2,000 persons who responded to invitations to the free cataract eye camp, organized by The DirectAid Society.

Teamwork
The Kuwait based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) collaborated with the ministries of Health; Gender, Children and Social Protection; the Ghana Health Service as well as the Saudi Arabia based Albasar International Foundation.

The cost of the project was estimated at $30,000 dollars.

All those who were screened and diagnosed with defects, along with those who underwent surgery, were provided medications and in some cases, reading glasses.

The team of doctors and technicians that worked on the patients expressed the hope of a bigger eye camp next year where they expect to provide free cataract surgery for no less than 500 people.

“We have done this together with our partners for the love of humanity. That is the objective and motivation of DirectAid Ghana. We want to assist the needy and those who cannot afford the cost of such operations to live more meaningfully”, said Adam Suleiman, Secretary to the Country Director of DirectAid Ghana.

Rizwan Ahmed Baloch, Assistant Manager of the Albasar International Foundation that flew in a team of 19 doctors and technicians for the eye camp, commended the government of Ghana and the Ministry of Health for their support and prayed their continued support the next time the team returns.

He said the collaboration will continue next year and on a larger scale.

Praise for benefactors
One beneficiary after the other expressed great joy at the opportunity to correct the eye problems they have been living with.

Bernard Okine from Kaneshie, a beneficiary of the free screening exercise who also went with his octogenarian father for the cataract surgery, called on government to channel resources to support such initiatives, saying government intervention will help reduce the long queues that attend such periodic undertakings.

Mubarak Maigida, who was at the eye screening camp with her grandmother, said “There is not enough words to thank the organisers. We paid nothing but they took us to the theatre and did the surgery yesterday and today they removed the plaster and she is ok. They gave us medication as well and their services are good. God bless them.”