An eye-care campaign is targeting 5,000 people for treatment, including 1,500 patients requiring cataract surgery, in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, health authorities said on Wednesday.
The campaign, led by Christian Blind Mission (CBM) in partnership with the Episcopal Church of South Sudan’s Diocese of Wanyjok and the state health ministry, began in Aweil East County on Monday after operations were completed in neighbouring Aweil North County.
Dr. Aguer Angok, director of Malualkon Hospital in Aweil East, told Radio Tamazuj that the campaign aims to perform cataract operations on 1,500 patients and provide other eye-care services to an additional 3,500 people across the two counties.
“This is the second round of the eye-care campaign led by Christian Blind Mission in collaboration with the Episcopal Church of South Sudan under the Diocese of Wanyjok and the Ministry of Health in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State,” Angok said.
He welcomed the initiative, saying it would help extend eye-care services to communities in need.
David Mathok Ngong, 76, said he had lived with impaired vision for 12 years and hoped an operation would restore his sight and enable him to resume farming.
“I cannot weed the crops on our family farm. I only plough open spaces without seeds or crops,” he said.
Another patient, Daniel Garang Aleu, from Rum Mading, expressed relief after undergoing an operation on one eye. He said medical staff had told him that surgery on his other eye was scheduled for Thursday.
“I am not even feeling hungry because I am very excited after getting back my sight,” Garang said.
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