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Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
A team of health experts are screening old people for eye problems at Guta Clinic in Mutasa district under the Old Mutual Zimbabwe and The Eye Institute Pilot Eye Camp.
The camp started on Tuesday and runs until Friday.
Patients have been screened over the past couple of years through wellness and eye screening programmes with strategic partners like The Eastern Highlands Trust and the Guta Clinic. While some simply need readily available and inexpensive reading glasses, others need more complex optical correction and in some cases surgery is required.
The camp has yielded a backlog of patients who require surgical intervention.
Under the Old Mutual Zimbabwe and The Eye Institute Pilot Eye Camp the team aims to perform 100 surgeries during this pilot initiative.
In this ground-breaking initiative aimed at tackling critical health issues in Zimbabwe, Old Mutual has unveiled a pioneering partnership with the Eye Institute founded by Dr Ron Mhizha.
This strategic collaboration is set to elevate eye care services for community members, including pensioners.
The inaugural pilot project launching in Manicaland, marks a significant step toward improving healthcare access and quality for those in need.
The Zimbabwe National Eye Health Strategy (2014 to 2018) identified cataracts, glaucoma, eye trauma, measles, and retinoblastoma as leading causes of blindness, and in many cases surgery can restore sight, or at least offer some amelioration.
To address this, the National Eye Health Strategy 2021-2025 was launched, aiming to combat the rising burden of eye diseases.
The strategy focuses on eradicating avoidable blindness by providing sustainable eye care services that encompass promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation for all citizens.
Old Mutual and the Zimbabwe Eye Institute have collaborated to prioritize crucial screenings, treatments, and surgeries, aiming to bridge the gap in eye care services, particularly for conditions often deemed avoidable and manageable through primary eye care interventions among pensioners. Eye complaints build up in old age, so a lot of elderly people need help, often at the time of life when they are not earning or not earning much.
Limited access to eye care services, especially in marginalised communities, exacerbates these issues.
Ms Lillian Mbayiwa, Old Mutual Zimbabwe head executive for public affairs and sustainability, said: “Through ventures with entities such as The Eye Institute, we reaffirm the company’s commitment to create enduring positive change spanning generations, fostering health and vitality for both the young and the elderly.
“In our dedication to community well-being, we actively forge partnerships founded on mutual goals, enhancing the communities we serve for the comprehensive improvement of all.
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