adminPlaxcedes Hove Chronicle Reporter
THE Islamic Medical Association of Zimbabwe (IMAZ) is offering free eye cataract operations for underprivileged people around Bulawayo.
The association is conducting the operations at Richard Morris hospital up to August 17. Normally, the operation costs $800 for one eye.
The president and founder of the IMAZ, Ashmawy Hassan, said they were targeting to treat 1,000 patients by the end of the week.
“Our target is to attend to 1,000 patients by the end of the week and it will all be for free. Everything is provided, all the patients have to do is come and we book them for their operation. We started doing the operations on Monday and we have operated 250 patients,” said Hassan.
The secretary general of the IMAZ, Ayman Amer, said some of the eye doctors came from Pakistan.
“We have five doctors from Pakistan who came to assist us in the operations. Some of the eye nurses came from Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South and also some staff from the Richard Morrison hospital. The hospital has provided us with hospital, machine, housing and detergents,” he said.
He said that they had conducted the operations before at the same hospital.
“We once carried out the same operations last year but we were targeting about 20-30 people. This is our biggest target ever and we feel honoured to help those who are underprivileged. We noticed there is great joy in helping the needy,” said Amer.
The head of delegation from Pakistan, Usman Saeed, said they were working hard to help Zimbabweans.
“We came all the way from Pakistan and we are honoured to help the Zimbabweans. This is our first time to come to Zimbabwe and we are very happy we came to offer our assistance,” he said.
IMAZ was founded in 2007 and has branches in Harare, Bulawayo and Kwekwe.
Online Reporter