Dubai eye specialists confer gift of sight to hundreds

Dubai:  More than 250 people from Ethiopia have been given a chance to see again thanks to Noor Dubai Foundation's third mobile eye camp.

The eight-day camp, which began on April 26, has successfully conducted hundreds of sight-saving operations in the main city of the Silt'e region in Worabe, Ethiopia.

Ethiopia, the second-most populous nation in Africa with 82 million people, has around 1.2 million blind people and 2.8 million people with low vision. Around nine million children aged one to nine have active trachoma, an infectious disease that leads to blindness.

At the latest count, more than 6,700 patients have been screened. Most patients were treated for cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation.

"The eight-day series of intensive operations to cure blindness in people suffering from cataracts and other causes of reversible blindness in Ethiopia was conducted in collaboration with international partners and supported by the Dubai Islamic Bank Foundation," Qadi Saeed Al Murooshid, chairman of The Noor Dubai Foundation, said.

"The success of the camp was achieved through the efforts of the Noor Dubai team, who shall continue their momentum to reach countries of need in the world to conduct blindness prevention programmes," Al Murooshid added.

The mobile eye camp was also conducted in collaboration with the Al Basar Foundation.

Based on recent figures from local authorities, the major causes of blindness in Ethiopia are cataract, 49.9 per cent; trachomatous corneal opacity, 11.5 per cent; refractive error, 7.8 per cent; corneal disease, 7.8 per cent; glaucoma, 5.2 per cent. Blindness and low vision are more prevalent among females.

Limited services

"Successful surgeries were conducted on patients aged between 15 to 80. Most patients suffered from cataract, the leading cause of reversible blindness in Africa," Dr Manal Taryam, Noor Dubai Foundation CEO, said.

Dr Taryam said eye care services are limited in Ethiopia with more than a majority of ophthalmologists based in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

"Worabe has over 20,000 inhabitants and no ophthalmologists, the closest eye clinic to the city is over 60km away and is managed by specialised paramedics for diagnosing and medically treating trachoma cases, and surgery is not performed in the clinic," Dr Taryam said.

The Noor Dubai medical team consisted of five ophthalmology specialists and seven ophthalmic technicians. Volunteers from the Worabe health centre and teachers and employees of the local school pitched in to help as well. Members of the medical team will return to Ethiopia in four weeks to examine the patients.