More than 200 people have received surgery at a four day outreach clinic conducted in Prey Veng Province, Cambodia.
The clinic, conducted at the Camchay Mear Referral Hospital, screened 675 local villagers and treated 155 people with
cataract, restoring sight and offering hope and opportunity.
The Foundation’s Country Manager in
Cambodia, Sith Sam Ath, said the patients were overjoyed to see again.
“A 60-year-old grandmother was kissing and hugging her granddaughter. She was reaching out to touch her and saying ‘now I can see your face’. If we did not hold this clinic she would have to travel over 100km to the nearest eye care service,” says Sith Sam Ath.
Doctors and nurses from the Neak Loeung Eye Unit, supported by The Foundation, travel to rural regions to ensure patients who are unable to visit larger population centres are also able to receive treatment.
There are approximately one million people living in Prey Veng, but the Province has only one eye surgeon and three ophthalmic nurses.
Due to the large backlog of patients not all were able to receive surgery during the four day clinic, so The Foundation is now planning a follow up surgery session.
This program received support through the Avoidable Blindness Initiative, part of the Australian Government efforts to end avoidable blindness in our region.
>Find out more about our work in
Cambodia.