EES Health Minister, Mr. Makuja speaking to Gurtong at his office in Torit [©Gurtong]
By Peter Lokale Nakimangole
TORIT, 8th January 2012 [Gurtong] – A group of American Eye Specialized Doctors shall be conducting a two-week (10th - 24th January 2012) intensive free eye surgery for patients with eye cataracts in two regions of Greater Torit and Greater Kapoeta respectively in Eastern Equatoria State (EES)
The State Minister of Health Mr. Felix Sam Makuja told Gurtong at his office last Thursday following the announcement of the same information to the public over local radio stations in Torit.
Mr. Makuja disclosed that the move followed one of the expected Doctors’ visits to the State in October 2011 where they discussed tentative dates of the exercise after their arrival from the United States of America (USA.)
He clarified that the team shall carry out eye operations in the Greater Torit and Greater Kapoeta regions. Patients from Magiw, Torit, Ikotos and Lopa/Lafon Counties shall get their patients operated at Torit Hospital from January10th-17th; while patients from Greater Kapoeta Counties such as Kapoeta South, Kapoeta East, Kapoeta North and Budi shall be attended at Katiko Hospital from January17th-24th.
He disclosed that due to the rising eye blindness in the State due to lack of capacity by the Government to manage owing to lack of hi-tech facilities and qualified health personnel, his Ministry gave priority to these American Eye specialists to undertake the eye examinations and operations in order to reduce eye infections.
“This is a very good gesture, I treat it as a great offer to the people of EES. I invited them and they willingly agreed to come here from USA this January so as to initiate the program,” the Minister said.
He firmly revealed that accommodations, logistics in terms of mobility and feeding including other support like political goodwill and security shall be the responsibility of the State.
Mr. Makuja expressed his gratitude to the people of America for their continuous support to South Sudanese. He further disclosed that the team is a mission group who studied in and graduated from missionary schools and universities and higher institutions of learning and they are part of a church.
According to a health officer in the State Ministry of health, cataracts occur when there is a build-up of protein in the lens that makes it cloudy. This prevents light from passing clearly through the lens, causing some loss of vision. Since new lens cells form on the outside of the lens, all the older cells are compacted into the centre of the lens resulting to cataract.
He explained types of cataracts as follows;
The first type of cataract develops as a result of aging and is also known as age-related cataracts. The other type develops in babies as a result of infections sometimes before they are born, this is called congenital cataracts and the third type is called secondary cataracts which develop as a result of other medical conditions, akin to diabetes, or exposure to toxic substances, certain drugs such as corticosteroids or diuretics, ultraviolet light, or radiation. The fourth type of eye cataract is traumatic cataracts which develop gradually after injury to the eye.
The announcements are currently running on the two Government owned radio stations of 97.5 fm (Voice of EES) and Radio Emmanuel 89 fm by the State Ministry of Health.