Over 300 targeted in Nakuru County’s free cataract surgery

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui greets patients who turned up for eye surgery at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital. The free operation targets over 300 people and ends on June 2, 2019. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • The free eye operation is funded by Mata Amritanandamayi in partnership with the Nakuru County government.
  • Ms Kagwi acknowledged that aging is the main cause of eye cataracts.
  • The lens inside the eye becomes cloudy and is therefore removed and replaced with an artificial one.

At least 114 people have undergone eye surgery to restore their vision in the ongoing free cataract operations at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital.

The programme, which targets 300 hundred patients, started on May 25 and will continue until June 2, 2019.

“Our target is to conduct sixty surgeries daily and so far we have managed to successfully carry out ninety-three surgeries in two days,” said Ms Rose Kagwi, the nursing officer in charge of the operation.

The free eye operation is funded by Mata Amritanandamayi (AMRITA international) in partnership with the Nakuru County government of, Crown Paints and Lions International.

CAUSE OF CATARACTS

Ms Kagwi acknowledged that aging is the main cause of eye cataracts.

The lens inside the eye becomes cloudy and is therefore removed and replaced with an artificial one, called intraocular lens, to restore clear vision.

One of the beneficiaries, Mary Murugi Kimani, 60, could not hide her joy after her vision was restored following an operation.

Bernard Micheka, 51, whose efforts to seek treatment in other hospitals had proven futile due to financial constraints, told journalists that he experienced no pain during the operation.

“I didn’t feel any pain when I was operated on,” Mr Micheka said as he thanked the sponsors of the operation.

Several volunteer doctors led by Dr Dashanaba King from America are involved in the operation.

They include 20 doctors from Nairobi and another 10 from Nakuru.