150 people with cataract undergo surgeries at BMH

DODOMA: ABOUT 150 people with cataract benefited from surgeries following a joint eye medical camp between the Utah-based Moran Health Group of USA and the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH) that ran from 3 to 14 March at the BMH.

The eye medical camps organised by BMH are being commended for improving the vision of ophthalmology patients in the Central Zone and its neighbouring regions from 2019.

Head of Ophthalmology Department at BMH, Dr Jacinta Feksi said yesterday that in the latest mission the BMH had screened over 100,00 people and that 250 people were found with cataract disease.

“The eye medical camp was preceded by free screening in Dabalo village in Chamwino District and Mtitaa village in Bahi District,” said the Head of Ophthalmology Department at the BMH.

According to an ophthalmologist at the BMH, Frank Sandi, Central Zone receives a big number of cataract cases due to prolonged exposure to sunlight and that Dodoma has a big number of elders in its population.

“Little intake of spinach in diet also affects health vision hence increases cataract cases in the Central Zone,” said the ophthalmologist who doubles as a lecturer at College of Health and Allied Sciences of the University of Dodoma (UDOM).

Cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to decrease in vision of the eye. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes.