A fortnight ago a team led by Dr Danie Louw, from the Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital, visited Grahamstown to examine residents on a waiting list for cataract surgery. Last week they returned to conduct around 30 surgeries over two days, on patients they examined during their last visit in July.
A fortnight ago a team led by Dr Danie Louw, from the Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital, visited Grahamstown to examine residents on a waiting list for cataract surgery. Last week they returned to conduct around 30 surgeries over two days, on patients they examined during their last visit in July.
Assisting Dr Louw were Dr Alton Thomas (also of Provincial Hospital) who performed a portion of the surgeries, sister Delswa Mtsheketshe of the Settlers' Day Clinic, and NC Henawa, program manager for eye care in the Makana health sub-district.
Many of the staff at Settlers' Hospital were also at hand to support the surgeries. Cataract surgeries are quick, approximately twenty minutes, and the patients are usually released the next morning, barring any complications.
Last Friday morning [28 Oct] 14 cheerful cataract patients at Settlers' Hospital celebrated the return of sight. Eric Cacela, 69, of the Vukani Location, had been apprehensive on Thursday afternoon as he waited for his surgery. Cacela, who once worked for Grocott & Sherry booksellers delivering parcels, had no history of eye injury until a year ago he went nearly blind.
Dr Louw's team operated on his right eye last year, and now they were preparing to correct his left. His vision was significantly limited; looking through his left eye he correctly counted four fingers held six feet away, but with noticeable effort. He spoke of how grateful he was for the opportunity to undergone this surgery, but it wasn't until Friday morning when his sight returned to normal that he couldn't stop beaming, as he sat in the hospital ward eating breakfast and chatting with other patients.
One woman, Florence Mbozi, 63, was in a particularly merry mood after undergoing her first cataract surgery and suffering from eye troubles for almost two years. Now that she can see, Mbozi jokingly announced to the room that she was "going into town."
Correction: Last week, Grocott's Mail reported in the article "For cataract sufferers, a chance to see again" that the examination and surgery process was free for residents. There is a fee of R30 charged for an examination at St. John Eye Centre, but surgery is paid for by the Department of Health.
