Private hospital in Lae offers free eye check-ups

THE Lae International Hospital’s eye care team is offering free eye checks in communities as part of its outreach programme.
The team referred people for free eye surgery at the hospital this weekend, to be conducted by a visiting eye care team from the Pacific International Hospital in Port Moresby.
The programme is sponsored by the Leilah Foundation.
The team checked 60 people’s eyes for free in Top Town yesterday and referred six with cataracts for surgery this weekend.
Hospital’s assistant sales and marketing general manager Vinod Kumar Sharma said it was an open air public awareness to let more people know about cataracts.
“They should come for treatment. We are just providing free cataract check-up to people.
“The team will be here for four days that we want people to go for surgery. We are anticipating more than 100 because cataract is affecting a lot of people.”
The surgery costs K100.
“We want to make it a regular programme,” Sharma said.
He also appealed for corporate and government support.
“We are doing a big job because a large number of people are not aware of the problem, which is avoidable. They will not get blind if they go for check-up and undergo surgery.”
Sharma said cataracts causing blindness is avoidable through surgery. “Cataract surgery can reduce the burden of blindness. Due to large number of people with cataract problem we will be conducting the free testing frequently. Surgery will be done every month,” Sharma said.