A 14-day ophthalmology surgery campaign organized by the Catholic Diocese of Wau targeting 500 patients suffering from eye diseases has started in Wau, Western Bahr-el-Ghazal State.
“The campaign is expected to end within 14 days or may reduce to 10 days based on the capacity of the target,” said Dr. Ladu Lino, the ophthalmological team leader.
According to the official, over 10,000 complicated eye surgeries have been successfully conducted since 2019 all over the country.
“We started the outreach activities in 2019, and in 2019 we operated over 4,000 cataract cases in the whole country and over 6,000 eyelid surgeries. Those 4,000 cataracts and over 6,000 eyelid surgeries were from different places, Greater Akobo, Wat, Ayod, Pangak, Malakal, Palouch, Akoon, Rumbek, and in Lui,” Dr. Ladu said.
He said thousands of people are still suffering from blindness with the complications that need operations.
Upon the arrival of eye surgeons at Wau Hospital where patients were waiting, 57 years old Luka Maluk who came from Tonj said he lost one eye when he was a small child but the other one also went blind in 2002.
“My age is 57 years old and I lost my eye when I was a small child and in 2002 the other side also went off up to now and I had been trying out treatment but nothing. Today I came to the hospital for an operation. Let God help me, It is God to determine whether it will open or it is damaged,” said Maluk.
Another patient, Mary Awut Akol, said she had been battling eye problems despite working as a clinical officer at the hospital in Warrap State.
“I had spent many years since the 90s without getting a chance for the treatment of my eyes. If God managed to bring these people here today, I am very happy. What is paining me is that I am working at the hospital but if I want to inject somebody, I can’t do it with one eye,” she said.
For his part, the state minister for health Dr. Vincent Taban welcomed the team and urged the public to turn out for the operation.
“As health authority is Western Bahr-el-Ghazal state, we welcome this move, we also hope that such medical surgical operations should not be only for eyes but should be also for other diseases affecting people in the state,” said Taban.
Taban also urged the public to keeps visiting hospitals for urgent and better treatment.