Project to provide free cataract surgery

KOTA KINABALU: EyeMedics Specialist Eye Centre Kota Kinabalu is partnering with Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) Pearl to provide free cataract surgery.

The “Hope in Sight” project partnership is in conjunction with World Sight Day which falls on October 8, 2020.

Surgeries were performed on October 8, on Milli @ Mary Pangga and Patricia Fong, on each of their eyes. They will be undergoing surgery soon for the other eye as soon as situation permits.

Due to the current pandemic, the candidates underwent stringent screening for Covid-19 prior to surgery.

RCKK Pearl President Kapitan Eliza Goh hopes that through this project, eligible women from the B40 low income household bracket, will be able to get free eye treatment that usually would be too costly for them to afford. This is in line with the objective of this community-based project, which is to enable such women to regain their independence and also enable them to contribute to their families’ income, which has been badly affected during this pandemic period.

The Club’s involvement in the project is in the selection of eligible candidates and sponsorship of lenses for the surgery.

On EyeMedics’ part, Dr Terrence Soong will be performing the surgeries, and the cost will be borne by the specialist eye centre.

In the meantime, six more eligible women have been identified and will also be undergoing screening soon.

It is hoped that this partnership between EyeMedics Specialist Eye Centre and RCKK Pearl will be a sustainable project that can continue to provide free eye surgeries for eligible women beneficiaries in future.