Over 1,000 benefit from free eye medical camp in Masindi
“Anyone we attended to who still experiences discomfort should return to Masindi Hospital for review,” she added.
Masindi: At least 1,250 people have benefited from a week-long free eye medical camp held at Masindi General Hospital from October 11 to 17, as the district prepared to host the commemoration of World Sight Day celebrated at Masindi Stadium on Thursday.
The camp attracted patients from across the Bunyoro sub-region, including Buliisa, Kiryandongo, Hoima, Nakasongola, and other neighboring districts.
Dr. Irene Mbabazi, an optometrist at Masindi Hospital, told journalists that they attended to 1,250 patients. Of these, 132 were diagnosed with cataracts, 17 underwent surgery, and 1,000 received free spectacles.
“By Wednesday evening, we had received many patients with blindness, but surgical materials had been exhausted since it was the last day of the operation. However, everyone who was registered will be called back for surgery when the hospital receives funds from the Ministry of Health,” Mbabazi explained.
She encouraged people with eye problems to seek medical care at Masindi Hospital, which offers specialized eye services, and appreciated Light for the World for donating a machine that measures eye pressure, currently the only one in the entire Bunyoro region.
“Anyone we attended to who still experiences discomfort should return to Masindi Hospital for review,” she added.
Several beneficiaries, including Nakate Grace, Bisoborwa David, and Kyamukama Lezi, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Health for providing free services, noting that they had been struggling with eye problems for years.
Dr. Rony Bahatungire, the Acting Commissioner of Health Services in charge of Clinical Services at the Ministry of Health, represented Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng during the event.
He assured the public of the government’s commitment to improving health infrastructure at Masindi Hospital.
“Shs 10 billion has already been released for the construction of new structures. We have started with staff quarters, followed by the outpatients department, and finally the admission ward and theater,” Bahatungire said.
World Sight Day is commemorated annually to raise awareness about the importance of eye health and to prevent avoidable blindness through timely treatment and access to quality eye care.
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