During the week of 16 to 20 October 2023, 102 cataract surgeries were performed at the Vrendendal Hospital Eye Care Centre by a team of healthcare workers from the Belgian-based organisation Smile and See Foundation.
Also read:The Smile and See Foundation also provided all the required materials to perform the surgeries. All surgeries performed were on patients whose condition had progressed so far that they were no longer able to see.
‘We perform 20 to 40 cataract operations monthly at Vredendal Hospital. These surgeries were also not performed as usual for the past 4 years due to many contributing factors, which include COVID-19, personnel shortages and consumable shortages,’ she stated. Expressing gratitude for the collaborative work, Dr Putter acknowledged the local and international role players who made the week’s achievements possible.