Online Reporter
Nomalisa Gumpo, Zimpapers Writer
THE Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) is providing free eye cataract surgeries to residents of Matobo District this week at Maphisa District Hospital as part of the ZDF Community Assistance Week.
This follows another medical outreach conducted at Bango Clinic last week, where the ZDF health team attended to over 250 people offering them different medical services and treatment.
The outreach is part of activities leading up to the ZDF Day, which is commemorated on August 12 annually to honour the role of the country’s uniformed forces in maintaining peace and security.
During the outreach at Bango Clinic, the medical team found that nearly 50 percent of people who were screened for eye problems had cataracts.
A cataract is an eye condition that affects mostly older people, causing the lens of the eye to become cloudy, leading to blurred vision, sensitivity to light and blindness if left untreated.
The ZDF extended its services to include free surgeries to restore sight for affected individuals while continuing offering other medical services for free at the hospital.
The eye cataract operations are being conducted by a team of specialists led by Colonel Dr Mathias Mukona.
Speaking to ZDF 1 Brigade, Deputy Senior Nursing Officer Captain Erica Chihururu said they are transporting patients from across the district to ensure they access the operations at Maphisa District Hospital.
“The outreach was to make sure every person gets the help they need and eye cataract operations were of high demand, that is why we extended them to the community,” she said.
Deputy Minister of Defence, Brigadier (Retired) General Levy Mayihlome and Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Philip Valerio Sibanda are expected to officiate the first eye dressing parade for patients who underwent cataract surgery, tomorrow.
