A five-day cataract surgery outreach program was held at the St Elizabeth Hospital in Lusikisiki, in the O.R Tambo district, in collaboration with the South African Council for the Blind. This happened from November 10 to November 14. Over 90 people were screened, and 54 had this life-changing surgery.
In the Eastern Cape this year, 1,066 cataract surgeries have already been performed. The province performed 2525 cataract surgeries in 2021. These procedures are designed to restore the sight of the visually impaired.
Nomakhosazana Meth, the MEC for Health in the Eastern Cape, spoke about the program’s success. “We are grateful to the team of doctors who came to our province to provide the much-needed and life-changing surgery to people who have vision problems.
“It was a success, made possible by our partnership with the South African Council for the Blind, for which we are grateful,” she said.
Meth said that they witnessed the excitement of those who had been longing to see. Their wishes have been granted, and their prayers have been heard.
The department undertook more surgeries
The department also held a Breast Reduction Marathon this weekend, an initiative led by the head of plastic surgeon, Dr Viwe Nogaga, with the goal of reducing the backlog in these surgeries at Mthatha Regional Hospital (MRH).
These surgeries were designed to assist women suffering from excruciating back and neck pains as a result of macromastia.
Macromastia is a condition characterised by abnormal enlargement of the breast tissue beyond its normal proportions, which may be caused by excess fatty tissue. This breast reduction surgery was performed on 17 women.
The Eastern Cape Department of Health signed a memorandum of understanding with Operation Smile South Africa last month, which will result in more children and adults with cleft lip in the Eastern Cape receiving life-changing surgery.
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