Buyelwa Mqungwana, a 73-year-old from Qoqodala village in the rural outskirts of Cacadu, has found it tough in the past three years due to the loss of her eyesight.
As a result, she relied on her family for most of her daily needs.
But the pensioner was all smiles and back to a younger version of herself this week after undergoing surgery to remove cataracts from her eyes.
A beaming Mqungwana said: “My eyes started going blurry out of the blue. I had to rely on my children when I needed to eat because they would cook and they would go to town to collect my pension.”
She said she was overjoyed to have her vision restored and, with that, her independence.
Mnqungwana is one of many patients in the province who have either received or are to receive eye operations as different health stakeholders such as the Eastern Cape department of health and East London Day Hospital roll out free eye operations.
The two are doing the operations separately, but it’s done to mark World Sight Day and Eye Care Awareness.
In Komani this week, the department of health performed more than 100 cataract surgeries, in partnership with the Al-Imdaad Foundation.
And at the East London Day Hospital’s Eye Centre, eight lucky patients were picked for free eye operations.
The centre will do several others for the rest of the month as part of their annual eye awareness campaign. Such operations usually cost more than R16,000.
Like Mqungwana, Liziwe Makhalima has also been blind for three years, in her right eye.
She was one of the patients at the Eye Centre on Thursday and described the surgery as a breakthrough.
“I am excited and grateful for this opportunity; I could not afford the operation,” she said.
“I could not even read or walk freely; this feels like a breakthrough.”
The hospital’s dedicated team includes Drs Stephen Cook, Andrew Boliter, Merrick Bryans and Erika Kleynhans.
Medical officer Dr Joné Smith said: “We are offering free cataract extractions for patients in need, mainly those who cannot afford surgery and are living with visual impairment.”
Smith said cataracts were a major health burden in the Eastern Cape, largely due to poor access to eye care services.
She also raised concerns about other leading causes of blindness in the region, including glaucoma, a silent disease, and diabetic retinopathy, which often goes untreated until it reaches an advanced stage.
“Diabetic patients should get their eyes checked at least once a year,” she said.
The department of health said their programme in Komani was part of a broader strategy to eliminate avoidable blindness and make comprehensive eye care accessible at all levels of care.
Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa’s spokesperson Camagwini Mavovana said the surgery blitz was an intervention aimed at restoring sight, independence and dignity to patients.
“The department values its partnership with the Al-Imdaad Foundation, which played a crucial role in the success of the initiative,” Mavovana said.
“Their involvement ensures that patients receive dignified care and support during their stay.”
The department plans to raise awareness about the importance of eye care and the connection between cataracts and diabetes, particularly in rural areas.
She said patients who underwent surgery would receive proper follow-up care.
Daily Dispatch
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