Touws River residents get free urgent eyecare in Cape Town

Cape Town - At Eye Save Optometrist in Kenilworth, a large bus arrived with nearly 70 patients, the majority of whom were seniors and some in wheelchairs, from Touws River, for essential eye care services, largely inaccessible in their home community.

The need arose after Gift of the Givers (GOTG) identified a number of people suffering from visual impairments while rendering an array of free medical services as part of its medical interventions since 2022 in Touws River.

One of its largest interventions included the removal of decaying teeth in both adults and children, eye tests, physiotherapy, gynaecology, paediatrics and occupational therapy.

Hundreds of adults and children were screened during the intervention and 69 requiring urgent eye care were identified and transported to Cape Town on Thursday.

Eye Save Optometrists conducted the eye tests and will cut the lenses and fit them into frames, while the African Eye Institute will supply the lenses and frames, all of this at no cost.

The atmosphere was jovial as precise tests were conducted, and meals served while the patients were comfortably accommodated at the premises situated on Loch Road.

A cataract surgery recipient, Dirk Petrus Jacobus, 72, was also among those who were examined for spectacles. Prior to getting assistance from the organisations, he would go nearly every two weeks to enquire about getting new glasses in his hometown.

“They (clinic staff) keep telling me they can only help those under 60 years old,” he said.

One of the directors at Eye Save Optometrist, Ashfaaq Zalgaonkir, said Eye Save has been carrying out community and school outreach programmes, and could not say no when approached to join GOTG for their outreach in Touws River.

Cataracts and glaucoma were some of the more common eye disorders identified, and those present were also examined for cases where further medical interventions such as cataract surgery would be required.

Zalgaonkir said a message that they were trying to spread was the importance of eye health, particularly for children at schools.

Prior to Covid-19 pandemic, when assessing around 100 learners, 20 to 30 children could not see on the blackboards. This number has now increased to around 60 to 70 children out of 100.

“At Eye Save, we personally believe (that) if everybody could give back, what an impact that would be. I am a firm believer, if I saw five or 10 patients in my practice today and if I give one for free, it's not going to take bread from my table.

“So if I can do that or another optometrist, another dentist, another doctor, any profession, can just give back a little bit, the impact is huge. The blessings are uncountable. No money can pay for what we're doing. And that is the most important thing,” added Zalgaonkir.

Since Covid-19, there has been a two- to three-year backlog in operations.

“Unfortunately if you wait too long, then the person ends up going blind. So I think if more people could come on board, more companies to assist, then we won't be sitting in this need.”

GOTG medical head in the Western Cape, Dr Naeem Kathrada, said: “About two years ago, we went through to Touws River and we picked up that optometry were lacking tremendously in the area. So we picked up a lot of cataracts and people who needed glasses.

“We have done about 100 for them already and now there was a need for another 69 so we brought them in and… within a few weeks, we're hoping to give them their spectacles.”

Dr Kathrada emphasised the need for public-private participation and partnerships in order to carry out such medical interventions.

“So in the last 18 months, we've probably done about 400 cataract operations and because everybody comes together with public-private participation, it works out to something like R2 000 per eye and it's a seven-minute operation. And within seven minutes, a person has eyesight.”

Non-profit organisation Compassionate Hearts chairperson, which is based in Touws River, is Rashaad Baker.

“Prior to the intervention of GOTG, our people were struggling in Touws River. They didn't get the services that they deserve. Touws River only has a local clinic with limited resources, short-staffed and there's always a shortage of medication.

“They've (GOTG) done two interventions and they're now planning on a third one, because the need still remains very big. Most of these services are available at Worcester Hospital, but it takes forever to get an appointment.”

On World Sight Day, commemorated next month, more patients will be transported to Eerste River Hospital for cataract procedures, funded by GOTG.

shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za

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