31 patients receive free eye surgery

Thirty-one free eye operations were done on Monday as part of the Trinidad Eye Hospital’s (TEH) Gift of Sight Charity Initiative and Sight Saver Charity Surgery Programmes.

This is the fourth year of the programme.

In a release, the hospital said 25 visually impaired patients had cataracts removed as part of the Gift of Sight Initiative, and six had surgery for sight-threatening conditions caused by diabetes under the Sight Saver Charity Surgery Programme.

The event was sponsored by Caribbean Vitreous and Retina Surgery Ltd (CVRS), Good Health Medical Centre, Eye See You Ophthalmic & Medical Supplies Ltd, In addition to other sponsors.

The release said cataract surgery can cost an average of $12,000 and vitrectomy surgeries $30,000 each.

Vitre-retinal surgeon Dr Ronnie Bhola started the initiative many years ago and has carried out more than 150 free surgeries since 2016.

This year's free surgeries done increased the number to 189. Normally the initiative would be carried out in July and December, but the July programme had to be cancelled owing to covid19.

The release said CVRS/TEH surgeons Bhola, Dr Dorian Dwarika and Dr Vineeth Kumar did all the surgery successfully together with their team, and the patients went home happy.