Cataract surgery restores sight
Netcare is looking to help more people through free cataract surgery.
LIFE took a dramatic turn for the better for 76-year-old John Chimphepo after he underwent eye surgery at a local Netcare Hospital recently which restored his failing sight.
Mr Chimphepo has lived with poor vision due to a cataract for many years. He was entirely blind in his left eye before the surgery, with only limited vision in his right eye.
“I am surprised how well I can see now, since my operation,” the retired housekeeper exclaimed after having the procedure to remove a cataract from his left eye.
Cataracts reduce the transparency of the lens of the eye and can lead to blindness if not treated. In fact, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Netcare, through its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) arm, the Netcare Foundation, is seeking to reach out to more people, like Mr Chimphepo, who are in need of cataract removal.
The sprightly septuagenarian is just one of the beneficiaries of the Netcare sight programme, which is also supported by Vodacom, Nedbank and Alcon, as well as numerous healthcare practitioners at Netcare hospitals who volunteer their time and expertise to perform cataract removal surgery.
Although cataracts are more common in older people, they can affect any age group. Cataract removal surgery, which completely restores vision, is performed at a number of Netcare hospitals, with the peak in such surgeries being undertaken as part of Netcare’s corporate social responsibility initiatives during Eye Care Awareness Month in September/October.
Mr Chimphepo’s former employer, Jenny Maxwell, said she was touched by the elderly man’s excitement at being able to see again.
“The results of the operation far exceeded his expectations and on our return trip, after the operation, he kept repeating, 'I can see! I can see!'”
Netcare’s general manager: emergency, trauma, transplant CSI, Mande Toubkin, said the sight programme is just one of the Netcare Foundation’s outreach projects helping to improve the quality of life of those in need.
“Through our sight programme, we are offering free medical intervention to help disadvantaged people whose vision is impaired by cataracts,” Toubkin said.
In order to qualify for surgery through the sight programme, applicants must be South African citizens and present their identity document or birth certificate. They must either be unemployed or reliant on a state grant. If they do receive an income, it should be no more than R2 000 per month. A means-of-living test will be applied.
Applicants also should have no access to medical scheme or insurance cover and need to provide their own transport for consultations.
Applicants or their family members can make contact via email on craniokidz@netcare.co.za or on 011 301 0374 or 011 301 0107.
