Some patients from rural Limpopo happy for the gift of sight

Some patients from rural Limpopo who have been living with preventable blindness said a surgery giving them the gift of sight again will be life-changing.

Three people recently got the chance to see again after being put on the list for cataract removal surgeries at the Hope for the Blind Hospital, a non-profit organisation (NPO) just outside Modimolle, Limpopo.

A subsidised programme at the facility makes this life-changing procedure completely free or charges a fraction of the normal cost for patients who would otherwise never afford it.

The patients are identified by local clinics and community health workers who put their names forward for urgent cataract surgery. 

Once accepted, they are transported to the hospital to begin the three-day journey that could restore their sight.

Eyewitness News followed the journey of some patients from their arrival at the hospital to the operating room, and then the moment they saw the world through their own eyes again.

Two elderly women and one elderly man are among those on the list for the life-changing surgery.

They have been living with blurry, clouded vision for some months and even some for years.

For these patients, blindness has meant losing their independence, needing help to bathe, cook, and even to manage their social grant money.

The three-day journey to restoring their sight includes the final medical tests and preparation, the surgery on day two, and the removal of the bandages on day three.

One of the patients, Mosana Ramphisa, who’s been living with preventable blindness since last Christmas, told EWN that having to rely on others, especially as an older, vulnerable person, has been difficult.

"I can't even cook for myself. I can't even wash the dishes. Even feeding myself or seeing where to go when there’s no one to guide me is very hard."

She said she is excited to gain her independence back.