Poor eye health services in Mtwara irk residents

SUNDAY NEWS Reporter

KOREAN based Heart to Heart Foundation (HtHF) has established a sophisticated eye health system to provide eye care services to patients with poor access to the services in Mtwara Region.

For the past two years, HtHF established an Eye Health System Strengthening Program for the people of Mtwara Region with the aim of providing accessible and reliable eye health services.

As part of the program, HtHF held a free eye camp (outreach) for three districts: (Mtwara District Council (DC), Tandahimba DC and Newala DC) in the region. Nanyumbu District Medical Officer (DMO), Robert Lyimo said the construction of an eye clinic in his district helped to separate TB patients from those suffering from eye complications, who initially shared the same ward.

He added that previously the district had a frequent shortage of water but HtHF had helped the facility to have a proper system of rain water that has so far helped in the treatment of eyes in the wards.

“I had much fear when it came to eyes treatment and many of us linked the disease with witchcraft, but after receiving training from HtHF, I got treated well and now I am well,” said Latifa Hassan, who was initially ailing from eyes complication. During the free eye camp (outreach), eye health workers from Mtwara Region visited rural areas and identified patients in need of specialized treatment and surgeries.

More than 6,280 people were screened and 700 people were found to have cataract. Among them, 500 people got minor surgeries while 570 people got cataract surgeries for free. HtHF is planning to hold a free eye camp for the remaining districts (Masasi DC and Nanyumbu DC) this year so that they can attain their target of covering the whole of Mtwara Region.

Ms Eun Jeong (Grace) Lee, the Director of Heart to Heart Foundation in Tanzania said: “HtHF has made concerted efforts to eradicate trachoma from Mtwara’s urban and rural areas over the past five years.’’

According to her, the foundation was already scaling up the project from trachoma to general eye diseases in order to provide a wider range of eye health care services in Mtwara Region “HtHF has spent US dollars 100,000 for the construction (major renovation) and support of medical equipment in Mtwara Regional Referral Hospital Eye Clinic and US dollars 82,800 for the construction and renovation of eye clinics in five districts as well as spending 58,000 US dollars to equip five districts with eye medical equipment.

“Many Mtwara residents lose their eyesight due to preventable or treatable diseases. For example, both cataracts and trachoma can be cured by simple surgeries. “In the past two years, we conducted this outreach program for residents in the rural areas and more than 570 patients who were diagnosed with the disease have already got cataracts surgery for free.,’’ she added.

According to her, HtHF would continue with its efforts to help patients suffering from cataracts and trachoma in Mtwara Region.

The eye health service system strengthening program in Mtwara Region is funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). HtHF is implementing this program to reduce blindness rate in Mtwara, where most local residents are exposed to treatable eye diseases but do not have access to eye care services.