A five-day eye camp in Samtse saw 26 patients have their vision repaired successfully. Most were cataract operations. A team of ophthalmologists from Thimphu led by a senior Eye Specialist were involved in the camp.
The senior citizens are being kept under observation after having undergone successful cataract operations at the Samtse Hospital. Cataract – a common cause of blindness in old people – can be surgically repaired. The patients had nothing but joy to share over their experiences.
“I was completely blind but after the surgery, I can see this curtain, the pictures hanging on the wall, I am just so happy,” said Bhakta Bir, 70.
Sonam Dolmo, 62, said she tried closing one of her eyes to see if her vision has been restored. “Yes, I can see.”
Dr. Bhim Bahadur Rai, an eye specialist, shares that the eye camp targets the older population and children who would otherwise not avail of these facilities out of ignorance.
“There are certain eye diseases which are in advanced stage. For instance, we saw three elderly patients whose optic nerves were totally damaged because of a disease called Glaucoma.” He said now they are irreplaceable but had they diagnosed them and treated them earlier or had they approached any eye specialist, the disease could have been treated.
Besides cataract surgery, the camp also provided Fundoscopy, a comprehensive eye examination, and refraction facilities.
The week-long eye camp saw more than 300 patients, the majority of them with cataract. The same team will organise another eye camp in Sipsu in the coming week.
