South Korea-based Vision Care has conducted 101 cataract surgeries at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe during a four-day eye camp aimed at reducing avoidable blindness and easing the burden on Malawi’s public health system.
In an interview on the sidelines of the camp’s closure on Friday, Dr Jae Yun Kim, who led a team of volunteers, said the Korea-based eye-care initiative initially targeted about 100 patients.
He said the camp cost about K120 million, covering medical supplies, consumables and other related expenses, while the visiting medical team members funded their own airfare, accommodation and related expenses.
“We selected KCH because it is Malawi’s central referral hospital and has the ophthalmology facilities and infrastructure required to host an eye camp of this scale,” said Kim.
Ministry of Health and Sanitation Principal Secretary for Administration Beston Chisamile said the camp demonstrated the potential impact of partnerships in addressing the country’s backlog of eye surgeries.
He said KCH’s ophthalmology department handles about 1 000 surgical cases annually, making the completion of 101 surgeries in a single week significant.
“Beneficiaries will be able to return to their villages, work, support their families and engage in economic activities,” said Chisamile.
KCH deputy director general Dr Carolyn Mwalwanda said the eye camps were particularly useful because they brought patients from several districts to one facility, allowing specialists to work together.
“KCH serves about nine districts in the Central Region. The hospital has three ophthalmologists, who are not enough to travel to every district to conduct surgeries,” she said.
The Rotary Club of Lilongwe facilitated the logistics and coordination of the camp, with the club’s president Mgawa Mkandawire saying supporting the camp was consistent with Rotary’s focus on disease prevention and treatment.
