Nyamira County receives eye surgery machines

Nyamira County’s department of health and sanitation has received a major boost in the eye care unit after a United States-based Mission partners organisation donated eye surgery machines worth over US $ 10,000 (approx. Sh 10.2 million).
The mission partners drawn from different states of the US said they have been supporting the health care sector in Nyamira County for three years with an aim of reducing sight loss among the citizens.
The mission partners will hold a three-day free medical camp for eye check-up and at the same time conduct surgeries to clients who need it. Simultaneously the team will train local medical personnel on how to operate the machines in the three-day event.
The organization’s representative Dr. Michel Gelinas said they aim at ensuring the hospitals in Nyamira have modern equipment needed for eye care and treatment.
“Our aim as Mission Partners organization is to ensure that the Nyamira people receive best and cheap eye care the reason why we are equipping all facilities in the County to ensure that we minimize sight loss among its people,” he said.
Among the machines handed over to the County Government include a set of Phaco emulsification machine which will be used to remove cataract from the eye and Yag laser machine to be used for fine surgical procedures to clear residues after surgery.
According to County Executive Committee Member (ECM) for Health Services Mr. Douglas Bosire, the two machines delivered Tuesday to the Nyamira County Referral Hospital would greatly reduce the cost for patients who seek the services of eye surgery from private hospitals or neighbouring counties.
He added that Nyamira Referral hospital could be the only public health facility in Nyanza region with these machines noting that private hospitals have been offering the eye surgery procedures at very exorbitant rates.
“We are privileged to have the two major machines for eye surgery, it has saved us the cost of purchase and even the residents here will get cheap and specialized eye surgery.
“The partnership has been going on for three years now and given us more machines before for our eye unit at the referral hospital which are very rare in public hospitals. As a County we are very grateful for this kind of partnership,” confirmed Bosire.
By Deborah Bochere/Dan Nyamanga