Operation Eyesight has handed over K20 million worth of medical equipment to Chitipa District Hospital’s Optometry Department to enable it start making spectacles.
The organisation’s country director of operation for Zambia and Malawi Kennedy Phiri said on Tuesday after the handover that they wanted the hospital to set up an optical laboratory.
He said Chitipa District Hospital will make spectacles and distribute them to Karonga, Mzimba North, Mzimba South and Mzuzu where they are implementing their activities.
Phiri said the hospital will take orders from the beneficiary districts to make spectacles for them.
“Most people with visual disabilities cannot see properly, cannot read properly or have cataracts. So, they will live normal lives when they wear glasses,” he said.
Phiri further disclosed that next week the technician will assemble the equipment before training healthcare workers how to assemble the spectacles.
He also said the hospital can start making spectacles by end of June.
Chitipa District Council director of health Jollings Kasondo thanked Operation Eyesight for the medical equipment.
He said the laboratory will improve eye services in the district.
“We have received a large consignment, which will help to improve eye services in terms of diagnosing and correcting refractive errors that many aged and young clients are having in the district and surrounding areas,” said Kasondo.
He commended the organisation for training healthcare workers how to make
the spectacles.
A community member Gift Munkhondya from Lwakwa in Traditional Authority Mwabulambya thanked the organisation for handing the medical equipment to the facility.
“We will no longer go to Mzuzu for eye services,” he said.
Operation Eyesight is implementing Elimination of Avoidable Blindness on a Sustainable Basis in Chitipa District with funding from Canada.
