PHOTO: Just a few of the patients benefitting from the free surgeries
By A lfred Kollie, alfredkolliejr92@gmail.com
As part of effort to restore eyesight to visually impaired citizens in Liberia, Ministry of Health in collaboration with the New Sight Eye Center with support from Samaritan Purse has officially launched a week long surgical outreach activities in Salala Boing County.
The weekend long surgical operation outreach activities, which was Launched on Monday, April 26, 2021, are being conducted by New Sight Eye Center with founding from Samaritan Purse, monitor and supervise by the Ministry of Health for cataract patients in Bong County.
The Cataract eye surgery started in 2019 by the New Sight Eye Center in Rivercess, Lofa, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Maryland, Cape Mount and Bong counties respectively with funding from Samaritan Purse in close collaboration Health Ministry with several persons been operated on and gaining sights in these counties.
Some of the cataract patients being observed by medics
Speaking at the climax of operation in Salala Bong County, the Founder and Executive Director of cataract surgeon New Sight Eye center Dr. Robert Dolo noted that the initiative which is funded by Samaritan Purse is intended to restore sight to individuals who are visually impaired especially with cataract in the County.
The entire surgical operation started on Sunday night with twenty persons been operated on successfully and discharged the next day and continue simultaneously with patients across the county.
According to Dr. Dolo, the surgical outreach is a sight restoring service to the people of Boing County thus urging citizens to take advantage of the opportunity and must take advantage of the initiative and support the eye care services in order to reduce blindness in the country.
‘’We are here purposely to remove cataract to restore sight. It is a sight restoring service to the people of Boing County like we have done in other counties. Now we want you to take this opportunity and make maximum use of the opportunity and support eye care health in this country to reduce blindness in Liberia,’’ he noted.
The free cataract surgery which is currently ongoing is bringing together male and female including children who are visually impaired with many coming from all over Bong County.
‘’ we will continue to provide high standard of eye healthcare to Liberians that will eliminate preventable blindness by reaching the eye health care to our people in rural area.’’ Dr. Dolo said.
For their part, Samaritan Purse Assistant Health Sector Manager Mr. Galakpai Kolubah said one of the primary purposes of the outreach is to give hope to the hopeless and to restore sights to those who are sightless for over a months and years in the country.
‘’On behalf of Samaritan Purse, our Country Director, Sector Manager we say thank you so much for the support and effort. We want to make sure that those who have been operated on be able to go back home without someone helping them, do thing by their self, go on the farm by their self and eat their food without assistance,’’ he explained.
In remarks, the National Eye Health Program Manager at the Ministry of Health Dr. Joseph L. Kerkulah thanked Samaritan Purse and the New Sight Eye Center for such initiative in the Country noting that the Ministry is grateful to all of the partners for providing sight to Liberians.
Dr. Kerkulah however stressed the need for eye care health in the county base on the huge turned out of patients for the surgical operation in Bong County.
Dr. Kerkulah wants health practitioners get involve or specialized in the area of eye care health noting that the Country is currently experiencing shortage of eye care professionals.
‘’We want to again thanked our partners the Samaritan Purse and the New Sight Eye Center for such initiative in the Country, we are really grateful to all of them for providing sight to our people while we at the Ministry monitor and supervise the process,’’ he said.
Launching the initiative in Bong County, Bong County District Six Representative Moima Briggs Mensah thanked MOH, New Sight Eye Center and Samaritan Purse for chosen bong especially her district, Salala.
‘’We are so grateful to all of you for helping to restore sight to our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children in Liberia especially my district. As a representative, I will work with this team closely in whatever means possible to help our people,’’ said Representative Mensah.
Meanwhile, Bong County district six Representative is however appealing and recommending base on the huge turn of visually impaired person to come back for the second time to allow others have access to the free surgery in the county.
Martha Lincoln candidate who underwent a successful operation expressed joy for gaining her sight again and for leaving darkness to light. ‘’I was in total darkness but now I can see. I want to say thank you to all the people were come here to help us to see,’’ she noted with joy.
‘’Firstly, I tell mighty God thank you, I tell Liberia government thank you, I tell the people that come work on our eyeball thank you, we na get pay for them only God will pay them,’’ Madam Lincoln concluded.
Testifying after the success operation, Mr. Edward Zolowo noted that people most often abandon us many time due to their condition but now he is grateful for the freedom restore on to him by regaining his sight.
‘’Now I can see again, I was in darkness but thought this would not work again. Blindness my son is really bad it make you look like a small child and ask people help in everything but today I am a happy man because I can see,’’ Mr. Edward Zolowo said.