Pakistan: Caritas Karachi
provides free cataract surgery for poor during Lent
 |
| Patients with cataract surgery sponsored by Caritas Karachi |
Caritas Karachi and doctors from the Ahsas-e-Insaniat
charity help provide free eye treatment to 650 poor patients.
By Robin Gomes
The development and social action arm of the Catholic Church
in Pakistan’s financial capital of Karachi recently organized free medical eye
camps during Lent, inspired by Pope Francis’s message for the Church’s World
Day of the Sick, 11 February.
Caritas Karachi helped 51 poor people undergo cataract
surgery free of charge. Doctors and eye surgeons from the
Ahsas-e-Insaniat, a non-profit charity, treated a total of 650 people of all
ages in two different sessions.
The first eye camp was held from 23 to 29 February at St
Michael’s Parish, in the Khuda Ki Basti (City of God) area. The second was held
on March 16-17 in St Luke’s Parish, Itehad Town. Both made their churches
available to doctors and health workers.
Eye surgeon, Dr Birbal Genani, said that doctors at the
camps diagnosed a number of vision disorders, medicated infections and, in some
cases, prescribed glasses.
They selected 51 patients with cataract problems who had
surgeries on Monday at Karachi’s Al-Khair Eye Hospital. “All operations
were successful and the bandages were removed on Wednesday. The patients will
be followed up in the coming weeks for check-ups and medications,” the surgeon
told AsiaNews.
He pointed out that the cost of a cataract operation at a
private clinic in Pakistan can cost between $300 to $400, a huge amount for the
poor.
One of the patients, Ashiq Masih, had his cataract diagnosed
five months ago but could not afford the surgery until Caritas stepped
in. “Caritas truly understands the conditions of the poor. This act
of generosity pushes me more and more to believe in God who really listens to
the poor and needy," he told AsiaNews.
Another patient, Sharefan Bibi, a widow, could also visit
the doctors at St Luke’s Parish. She is grateful to Caritas and Ahsas-e-Insaniat.
“Their work in support of the marginalised, suffering and poor people is
inspired by the teachings they received from their families and the
institutions they work for ,” she said.
According to Mansha Noor, the executive secretary of Caritas
Karachi, there are around 1.6 billion people worldwide living in precarious
conditions because of political instability and weak governments that are
unable to provide basic healthcare services. “This is a serious challenge
for global health,” he explained. “Feeling and reacting to the suffering and
pain of the poor is the aim of Caritas,” he added.
According to a report by the United Nations World Health
Organization last year, at least 2.2 billion people around the world have a
vision impairment. Of these, at least 1 billion have a vision impairment
that could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed. (Source:
AsiaNews)
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