Eye specialist identifies cataract as the main cause of blindness in the region.
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| Members of the Visa Oshwal Community and Jain Youth League take Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina (in tie) round the free eye and ENT camp at Chania Girls High School when he paid them a courtesy call on Wednesday. |
A leading eye surgeon has identified cataract as Kenya’s
most common cause of blindness, being responsible for the loss of
vision of hundreds of thousands of people.
Dr. S. K. Salva form Mumbai India says that majority of
these people got blinded by untreated cataracts due to poor financial
background and the lack of access to medical care.
A cataract is a medical condition where the eye’s natural
lens which lies behind the iris and the pupil is clouded.
Dr. Salva asked people to check early signs of cataract such as whiteness or
opaqueness in the eye, a white spot on the pupil or any signs that one could
not see well.
“Should you notice any of these signs, insist on an eye test
at your local clinic or optometrist. People should also check on their diet as
malnutrition can lead to a cataract,” he said.
Dr. Salva made these revelations during the 39th Free Shah
Eye and ENT Camp at Chania Girls High School organised by Thika-based Shree
Jain Youth League.
Jinesh Shah, the Jain Youth League chairman also identified
deafness, ear wax (cerumen)
and nasal polyps were other
very common ailments that they had to deal with during their camps.
(Related story: Shree Jain Community Plans To Build A 500m Hospital In Thika.)
He revealed that on average, the doctors screened between 10,000 and 15,000 cases annually who were drawn from across the country, operated on about 600-700 cases and provide 5,000 pieces of reading glasses during the 10 days.
He revealed that on average, the doctors screened between 10,000 and 15,000 cases annually who were drawn from across the country, operated on about 600-700 cases and provide 5,000 pieces of reading glasses during the 10 days.
Thika MP Eng. Patrick Wainaina, who graced the occasion,
promised to support the Jain community in their pursuit to help the meek in the
society. He added that he would assist them procure some land within the
constituency to put up the hospital.
“I promise you that within the next few months that I will
ensure you get the 5 acres you need to build the hospital and if possible more
so that you can include other services such as cancer, diabetes and kidney
treatment,” said Wainaina.
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