Hundreds of lives were positively changed during a recent Ugu Health District High Volume Cataract Camp at GJ Crookes Hospital

Cataract surgery has always remained one of the vital surgeries in the community, especially for senior citizens. The surgery is observed as an important intervention that changes lives, but does not necessarily save lives and is therefore an unfortunate subject in the competition for resources.

Due to limited capital and human resources, Ugu Health District had a long waiting list of people who were supposed to have cataract surgery in the past months. The Health District and dedicated local NGOs like the Lions Club, The Rotary Club, The Ilala Club and The Sai Organisation went into partnership and organized a high volume cataract camp from the 25th till 29th June 2012 at GJ Crookes Hospital where a total of 197 patients received the Cataract Surgery operation.

A group of three doctors from India volunteered their services to the community of Ugu District with the assistance of other local specialists. Patients who could not go home after the surgery because of long distance were accommodated overnight at GJ Crookes.

All patients were screened at their respective institutions and came to GJ Crookes for the procedure. A lot of the senior citizens could not hold back the excitement of being able to go back to their homes with the ability to see again. One of them is 59 year old Mr Mhlabunzima Mbhele who said vision was something he always took for granted until he began struggling with it four years ago. He even delayed going to health institutions for help until he was persuaded by his family. He thanked all who partnered in making the camp a success. “We really appreciate these types of services, especially since we cannot afford the high expenses of privately owned institutions” concluded the thrilled Mr Mbhele

GJ Crookes hospital

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