About 550 eye patients from Western Bahr el Ghazal, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap states are set to undergo free cataract surgeries at Wau Teaching Hospital on Monday next week.
The campaign is being sponsored by the Catholic Church Diocese of Wau.
“We will take 150 patients from Kuajok, 150 patients from Aweil and 250 patients from Wau and all of them will travel to Wau,” Tetahana Gaaba, the health advisor for the Catholic Diocese of Wau, told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday.
The health advisor said a team of ophthalmologists started screening patients with the defect this week. “Yes, I see a lot of people have come here but I think that one-third of them are suffering from cataract disease and the other patients have other eye problems,” she said.
Ayak Wol Mou, one of the patients, said: “I hope to have a new life when my eyes are treated. My one eye was previously operated but it doesn’t see well and the other one is completely destroyed.”
Another eye patient, Athian Athian Bol, says he hopes to restore his vision after the cataract surgery. “I came here because of eye problems because it affected me a lot. As I am speaking to you, I am just hearing your voice but I cannot see you,” Athian said.
Aleu Pioth Akot, Director-General of Northern Bahr al Ghazal State health ministry, revealed that there will be other campaigns soon and urged the patients who will miss the ongoing operations to remain calm.
“We are telling the people who will not be part of the surgeries to remain patient because this is not the last exercise. Many campaigns are coming so that this large number of patients is treated,’’ Aleu said.