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Inside A Cataract Mission

Inside a Cataract Mission

Check out the itinerary for the second, of six, cataract missions to Botswana, as part of the Bring Sight to Botswana program undertaken by Combat Blindness International, Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital (SCEH), and a number of other partners. As with any trip, we may encounter variables outside of CBI’s control that could cause changes to our plan.

May 22, 2017 – A representative of SCEH arrived in Botswana to coordinate a smooth arrival for the team and work with their Botswana counterparts as they continue to build a long-term relationship between SCEH and the Botswana Ministry of Health. Earlier this year, an ophthalmologist and ophthalmic nurse from Botswana travelled to New Delhi, India to visit the SCEH facilities and staff, which was supported by the India Ministry of External Affairs.

May 27, 2017 – The SCEH team will arrive in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. The team will consist of ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nursing staff and others.

May 31, 2017 – The team will arrive in Molepolole, Botswana and visit the Scottish Livingstone Hospital (SLH). There they will meet the staff and community and tour the hospital facility, building solid relationships between the SCEH and SLH teams for the upcoming month of surgeries and learning. This time will also be used to prepare supplies and perform equipment cleaning and servicing to ensure safe and efficient surgeries.

June 1-29, 2017 – Over four weeks in June, the team from SCEH plans to perform 1,000 cataract surgeries, hoping to average 50-60 surgeries per day! They will run four surgeons at a time, including surgeons from SCEH and local SLH surgeons, each supported by four to five nursing staff. This allows the staff from SLH to gain hands-on experience learning the methods used by SCEH to perform high volume cataract surgeries, focusing on increasing surgical efficiency and quality. The doctors from SCEH will also provide their expertise in using more advanced eye care and surgical equipment.

July 4, 2017 – The SCEH team will begin their journey back to India, their homes and their families. They will depart from a hospital now equipped to handle the region’s blindness and the 1,000 people transformed from darkness to sight.  

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