Super-Specialist Medical Camp in Mtwara examines 200 people, 5 receive sight-restoring surgery
MTWARA: NEARLY 200 patients have undergone eye examinations, while five have received sight-restoring surgery at the ongoing Specialist and Super-Specialist Medical Camp at the Southern Zone Referral Hospital in Mtwara.
Consultant Ophthalmologist Dr Japhet Bonifas said the majority of patients examined at the camp were diagnosed with cataracts, a condition caused by clouding of the eye’s natural lens that gradually impairs vision.
He explained that treatment involves surgically removing the cloudy lens, a procedure that helps restore patients’ eyesight and significantly improves their quality of life.
However, Dr Bonifas noted that Tanzania continues to face a shortage of eye care specialists despite the growing demand for ophthalmic services. He stressed the need to increase the number of eye specialists to meet the country’s healthcare needs.
He also urged the public to avoid self-medicating with eye drops or other medications without first seeking medical examination and advice from qualified healthcare professionals, warning that some drugs may worsen eye conditions rather than treat them.
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Dr Bonifas further said children are among the groups most affected by eye diseases due to various factors, including dust and environmental conditions. He advised parents to take children showing signs of eye problems to health facilities promptly instead of resorting to self-treatment at home.
One of the beneficiaries, 55-year-old Mohamed Chipangala from Mtwara, said he had suffered from cataracts for more than one and a half years and had almost lost hope before learning about the specialist medical camp.
Following his surgery, Chipangala said his vision had begun to improve and encouraged people experiencing eye problems to seek treatment at health facilities and take advantage of specialist medical services available through such outreach programmes.
