Volunteers from the Tzu Chi Eye Center (TCEC) in Manila ended their medical mission in Cambodia with a total 71 blind patients treated for free.
The TCEC team was part of the Tzu Chi Foundation and the Tzu Chi International Medical Association’s multinational mission that was also participated in by doctors from Tzu Chi chapters in Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.
Since 2017, Tzu Chi has cooperated with Cambodian non-government organization TYDA, whose volunteer ophthalmologists and medical students help in the free clinic, including translation.
TYDA doctors will also assist in postoperative follow-up to protect the health of residents together.
The patients expressed deep gratitude to the Filipino doctors, among them So Moen.
“Seeing the meals brought by my daughter was the happiest moment for my husband and I,” said So in a post by the Tzu Chi Medical Foundation Philippines (TCMFP) on its Facebook page, after her cataract was removed and she regained her eyesight.
“I am very happy that there are charitable organizations to help our people with cataract surgery and replacement of artificial lenses. Thank you for your help,” she added.
So’s husband, who was also blinded by cataract, is hopeful after the surgery.
“After we recover, I want to start working again,” he told the TCMFP.
Ju KimHong, after his successful cataract surgery, could only express his overwhelming joy, repeatedly telling his surgeon in the local language: “I am so happy. I am so happy.”
For 74-year-old Ken Naikun, the surgery marks a dramatic turning point. “I am very excited to see the world again,” she declared, her vision previously blurred for four to five years by cataracts.
Ken had undergone a cataract surgery before, the cost of which depleted her savings. This time, the free surgery provided by Tzu Chi brought immense relief and gratitude.
Another patient, 67-year-old Mong Sron, had been cataract-blind for nearly two years. She also regained her vision.
The TCEC team, composed of five surgeons, performed 69 cataract surgeries and 2 pterygium surgeries from nine o’clock in the morning to almost eight o’clock in the evening on 31 May. Non-medical volunteers tirelessly assisted patients from the surgery preparations up to discharging.
Cataracts are a leading cause of avoidable blindness in Cambodia, with a substantial backlog of cases and a dire shortage of ophthalmologists, especially those with surgical training. Fear of surgery and hospital environments, coupled with a general lack of awareness about treatable conditions and the availability of free or subsidized services, further contribute to the crisis.
While the challenges of providing specialized eye care in rural Cambodia are significant, the dedication of the Tzu Chi’s volunteers illuminates a path forward, demonstrating that with compassion and collaboration, even the most daunting obstacles can be overcome, one restored vision at a time.
