Hong Kong Sharing Foundation and Guangxi medical team provide free cataract surgeries to thousands in Cambodia
China News Service, Prey Veng, Cambodia, November 15th
At 8 a.m. on November 14th, the Prey Veng Provincial Hospital in Cambodia was bustling with residents waiting to be examined and diagnosed by Chinese doctors from the Hong Kong Sharing Foundation and the Guangxi medical team. The medical teams were providing free cataract surgeries to local patients, with the surgical requirements met by patients receiving same-day surgeries on a mobile medical unit on-site.
Sixty-seven-year-old Bron was among the crowd of patients. Suffering from 2 years of blurred vision, he was unable to ride a motorcycle safely due to his condition. Fortunately, he underwent successful cataract surgery the day before and was preparing to be discharged from the hospital. Bron’s experience was only one of many as the foundation and medical team sought to eliminate cataract blindness in the region.
The Hong Kong Sharing Foundation, a non-governmental, non-profit medical humanitarian aid organization, is working to help underdeveloped countries eliminate backlogs of cataract cases and allow patients to regain their sight. Currently, the project is being launched in five countries in Southeast Asia and in Africa, with more than 7,000 free cataract surgeries completed so far.
Aipa, an 81-year-old Cambodian man, expressed his gratitude to the Chinese doctors, citing his ability to read several lines of letters on the eye chart post-surgery. Early diagnosis and encouraging patients to undergo surgery remain the major challenge for the program, as highlighted by Lin Yingxian, Southeast Asia project director of the Sharing Foundation, and others involved in the initiative.
At the Prey Veng Provincial Hospital, the shortage of equipment and professionals has limited its ability to provide comprehensive help to patients. The presence of the Hong Kong Sharing Foundation and the Guangxi medical team is a game-changer for the local healthcare landscape. The project aims to provide free surgeries to 10,000 cataract patients in Cambodia within three years, along with the donation of surgical equipment and training for local medical workers.
Following several hours of work, Zhai Jianwei, captain of the Guangxi Medical Team, shared that 90% of patients’ visual acuity levels improved significantly post-surgery. With such promising results, the project’s impact continues to grow as more patients regain their sight.
The project has gained recognition on the international stage, with its inclusion in the third “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit Forum in Beijing. As the project continues to advance, the Hong Kong Sharing Foundation and the Guangxi medical team are increasingly confident that more and more patients will have a bright future ahead.