Committed to being present for the long term for the people of Nias island and its surroundings, doctorSHARE held a free cataract surgery on Sunday (25/06). This cataract surgery itself is part of a series of activities inaugurating the doctorSHARE Nias Primary Inpatient Clinic, as well as marking the start of the doctorSHARE Nias area intervention program which will be held the next day (Monday 26/05).

As in previous cataract surgery programs in various parts of the archipelago, doctorSHARE again collaborated with its strategic partner CENTRAL PERDAMI (Association of Indonesian Ophthalmologists). A total of 16 members of the ophthalmologist team arrived in Nias with a complete package of surgical equipment brought from Jakarta, the day before the cataract surgery (24/06) was held.

The free cataract surgery was held at doctorSHARE’s Primary Inpatient Clinic, Dolok Martinbang Street, Boyo Village, Gunungsitoli Sub-District, Gunungsitoli City which was previously known as the YAKKUM Rehabilitation Clinic and was officially donated to doctorSHARE in early 2023.

Since morning (25/06) hundreds of patients who had registered long beforehand seemed to crowd the doctorSHARE Clinic complex with a cheerful aura.

“I am very happy that there is an opportunity for free cataract surgery like this. I can’t wait to get my eyesight back as before, said Meriasa Waruwu (47), enthusiastically.”

According to data from the Ministry of Health (kemkes.go.id, 2022), based on the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness survey, it is estimated that 3 out of 100 people aged more than 50 years experience blindness or around 1.6 million people and the main causative factor is cataract.

In response to this urgency, a small step that doctorSHARE and its partners can contribute is to always schedule cataract surgery in every area of program implementation.

“To date, cataract is the leading cause of blindness,” said Tutuk Utomo Nuradhy, Managing Director of doctorSHARE. “Nias is the seventh place where we have conducted free cataract surgeries in the past 2 years with a total intervention of two thousand (2,000) patients,” Tutuk Utomo added.

In this cataract surgery, the target number of patients to be intervened was 100, while 134 people registered. In the final screening process conducted by a team of ophthalmologist specialists, a number of patients were declared unfit for surgery due to the patient’s own special condition, so from the target of 100, the total number of patients who successfully underwent cataract surgery reached 74 patients.

The cataract surgery itself uses the Phaco Emulsification technique. The Phaco Emulsification technique is a modern cataract removal surgery using a phaco emulsification device (commonly known as a laser) to soften (emulsify) and remove the cataract lens. At the same time, the patients and their families expressed their deepest gratitude and thanks.

Post-surgery, a mother who used to come with a guide because she could barely see anything, now sees the beauty of the world again.

“Years of darkness. I came to be guided … Now I can see the world again…” Moida Gulo (56), who came all the way from Sisobawino Village, West Nias.

Previously, the Head of Gunungsitoli City Health Office, Wilser J. Npitupulu, S.Si, Apt, MPH expressed his appreciation to doctorSHARE and its partners for the cataract intervention and doctorSHARE’s long-term commitment in Nias.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Nias, I would like to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to doctorSHARE, PERDAMI, and all other parties,” said Wilser.

Furthermore, on the morning of the next day (26/06) a number of patients carried out post control, to ensure that the postoperative eyes were in ideal condition and recovered soon.

 

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