EYE SURGERY CAMP.

EYE SURGERY CAMP REPORT

International Rescue Committee (IRC) has successfully started special “eye surgery camp”, aimed at giving two hundred of refugees across the three camps back their sight. This is the first time IRC has set-up this camp in close cooperation with the Lions Club of Kenya and UNHCR.

From 28th May to 1st June 2012. The health post partners identified 200 people yesterday they operated 25 of them (16 male and 9 female), essentially giving people back their vision. Just over The screening; treatment and surgeries were conducted inside Hagadera IRC Main Hospital by expert surgeons

Eye problems, like many other health issues in Dadaab Refugee camps, often go untreated. Internal conflict, a dilapidated healthcare system, and chronic poverty all take a serious toll on people’s ability to access healthcare. The situation is compounded by a lack of surgeons throughout the camps as a whole.

Meanwhile, eye problems, such as the common cataract (clouding in the lens of the eye), can all too often lead to blindness if untreated. The impact on people’s lives is devastating especially in a country where in general many people face a daily struggle to survive. Thus, eye surgery can have a huge impact on the lives of patients, improving their ability to live a dignified and healthy life. The refugee community leaders and the community at large welcomed the program and asked to have continental of such important steps.