AsiaLIFE

With the number of charities and medical NGOs operating in Cambodia, it can be hard to see the trees for the forest. One organisation is concentrating on being seen by improving the nation’s sight. Words by Gregory Pellechi.

---

Over 90 percent of blindness in the country can be avoided. So says Cambodia Vision, an organisation that has focused on basic medical care and blindness prevention in provincial towns across the country since 2007. In an effort to aid those whose sight is diminished or lost altogether, a team of Australian medical professionals came to Cambodia in July to provide free cataract surgery to over 200 patients and medical and optometric services to an additional 1,000 people.

Cataracts, the opacification of the lens of the eye, can occur in children and adults, and is more common in the malnourished and those who work outdoors. Simple surgery is the answer for the majority of cataract cases, but the intervention’s expense is unaffordable for many rural Cambodians. Around 70,000 new cases of cataracts develop each year, putting Cambodia Vision in a sector of great need for the needy.

“Sight is such an important valuable sense,” says Dr Susan Ang, the head of optometry for Cambodia Vision. “You can see immediate gratification [when] someone who couldn’t see can. They walk in blind and walk out with a smile.”

From the end of July to early August, Cambodia Vision provided services in Kampot province. In coordination with the provincial health authorities, the organisation invited all locals for an initial screening at district health centres. Over the course of five days, the team completed the necessary surgeries and provided glasses to those in need. Those who attend an assessment day but do not need glasses or surgery are not sent home empty handed. Cambodia Vision gives them all sunglasses in an effort to promote general eye health.

Those determined to have cataracts or be in need of further care are identified to the local government for transportation to the regional eye health centre. There, these patients undergo a second screening process, which consists of a full medical check that looks at more than the patient’s eye health. A visual acuity (VA) test determines if the patient’s cataracts have developed to the point where surgery is necessary; otherwise, a pair of glasses can be the appropriate solution. This test is conducted by a volunteer medical student who also checks eye pressure and prescribes Diamox if it is too high, in order to prepare the patient for surgery.

A general practitioner follows up by checking to see if the patient suffers from diabetes, is capable of lying flat for an hour, and has fasted for the required six hours, among other factors that determine suitability for surgery. There are a number of contra-indicators that would exclude a person from the surgery including having suffered a stroke, corneal scarring and a growth of skin in front of the eye that blocks sight.

“The last is another basic surgery that could be performed easily,” says Ang. “Cambodia Vision is hoping to bring a surgeon to Cambodia next year to do such operations.”

Patients who are deemed suitable for surgery undergo cataract removal through one of two methods: Extracapsular Cataract Extraction or Phacoemulsification. Surgery is only performed on one eye at a time in order to ensure that patients are able to take care of themselves during the month-long recovery period. Surgery takes 30 minutes under local anaesthesia. General anaesthesia is given to children and patients unable to lie still.

For Cambodia Vision, the full cost for cataract surgery is US$700 to US$900. Costs are kept low due to the doctors, surgeons and other medical professionals who are donating their time. Eyeglasses for those in need are around US$90.

This year, Cambodia Vision distributed 500 pairs of sunglasses, 1,000 pairs of reading glasses and performed 250 surgeries in Kampot province. For the next project, the team aims to target Kampong Speu province and continue providing their services free of charge to locals. Yet for those plans to come into fruition, the organisation hopes for additional support.

“We need support from the government, including provincial government, and cooperation from local hospitals,” says Thida Yang, secretary of Cambodia Vision. “We also need support from the businesses and media in Cambodia.”

For more information or to support Cambodia Vision, visit cambodiavision.org.au.

Patience For Patients< Prev		Next >Seeking Justice