Following on from our Lamjung eye and dental camp in May, eleven of the 16 cataract patients identified during the camp headed to Kathmandu, supported by Narayan Sir from the health post and family members in order to have their cataract surgery.
After a long, uneventful journey they finally arrived at Teaching Hospital’s eye centre, tired and feeling a little travel sick where they were met by Hari, HQF’s Programme Co-ordinator. Here the initial tests were performed to see whether they were fit for surgery before they all headed to a local guest house for their evening meal and a good rest ahead of their surgeries the following morning. Ten of the eleven patients were cleared for surgery the following morning, as one gentlemen’s blood pressure was too high.
They were up early the next morning in readiness for their surgery and headed back to the hospital where they were met by our Health Assistant volunteer Pragati, who smoothed their way through the process and helped sooth their understandable nerves. The first patient to go for surgery was our oldest, 96 year old Durga Bahadur, while the other’s waited patiently outside the operating theatre waiting to be called.
In the end 9 of the 11 underwent the life changing surgery, as one gentlemen, Kadkha Bahadur’s blood pressure went through the roof as he entered the operating theatre. Already blind in one eye, his fear of losing his second eye was understanably, just too much for him.
The nine who underwent surgery spent the afternoon on the dedicated cataract post op ward recovering, before being released back to their guesthouse for the night.
After an early breakfast, they all headed back to the hospital for the last time for the big reveal. Had their surgeries been successful or not? They were all in high spirits and some even peaked out from their bandaged eyes to watch the TV in the waiting room! When I asked one gentleman if he could see the images clearly, he gave me the biggest smile and thumbs up.
After a short wait our group was called in to have their bandages removed and their vision checked by the eye doctors.
We had a 100% success rate with the surgeries and all were thrilled with their new vision and the smiles and gratitude poured out of them. When I asked our 96 yr old to cover his good eye and to tell me what colour my hair was, he correctly declared with the biggest smile and a little chuckle that it was white.
The final process was to issue them all with their eye drops and sunglasses and for one of the eye doctors to explain when and how they must apply the drops, as well as the importance of applying them at the correct time intervals, before they all piled back onto their bus for the long journey home.
A huge thank you to Teaching Hospital’s BP Koirala Lions Center for Ophthalmic Studies for providing the surgery free of charge under their outreach programme and to all the doctors and nurses involved in looking after our patients. To Naryan Sir from the Simpani Health Post, the patients family members for coming out to support them, Pragati and Hari for their coordination and of course, our donors who enable us to provide this life changing legacy free of charge. To date we have restored the gift of sight to 175 people living in rural communities where access to eye screening and care is virtually non existent.