About 300 residents of Kakamega with eye ailments are undergoing free surgery to restore their eyesight at the Kakamega General Hospital.
The surgeries are conducted by a team of 20 eye specialists from Operation International, a US based International organisation that provides free medical and surgical care to underprivileged communities around the world.
The organisation which is on an Operation to Restore Vision (OVR) identified the 300 patients after screening 5000 residents of Kakamega in all the 12 sub counties.
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, who visited the surgery camp at the hospital on Monday, welcomed partnership between the county government and Operation International in providing treatment to the community members.
Speaking to the press at the hospital, Governor Barasa noted that the eye specialists are operating a minimum of 50 patients per day with expectation that the exercise will be concluded on Friday this week.
He said that the Organisation has agreed to donate eye equipment worth Sh 50million to the county government of Kakamega once they are through with their surgeries.
“I want to appreciate in a special way a team from Operation International in the US for initiating this very important eye camp that is free and we have agreed that we shall be having screening that will be preceding the surgeries on an annual basis,” he explained.
Governor Barasa also called upon residents from Kakamega County who work abroad to partner with the county government to support communities.
By Gloria Asacha and Albert Muteshi
