Patients awaiting their procedures – credit, South Caribbean Conference Communication Department, provided to the media
A hospital in Trinidad and Tobago was the site of an incredible, 12-day surgical marathon.
When the scrubs were finally hung up, 3,000 people had regained vision free of charge thanks to the Church of the 7th Day Adventists, who organized donated cataract and pterygium surgery work through its community hospital.
Surgery day at the Community Hospital of the 7th Day Adventists in Trinidad and Tobago – credit, Community Hospital
Day after day, between May 14th and the 26th, hundreds of islanders arrived at the hospital in the town of Cocorite, some of whom had been waiting for cataract surgery for years, or who were never able to receive it due to the prohibitive cost.
To address this unserved need, the Church partnered with nonprofits Hands International and Eyes for India, the president of the latter happened to have developed a “high-volume cataract surgery technique” which enabled the volunteer surgeons to perform a staggering 450 procedures every day.
“Our target was approximately 4,000 cataract surgeries,” said Tobago-born MD, Reynold Agard, president of Hands International. “When we replace that lens, people see again. Colors become sharper. Night blindness improves. It changes quality of life.”
The initiative also provided treatment for pterygium, commonly known as “surfer’s eye,” a non-cancerous growth frequently associated with prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light, dust, and wind.
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Even with chief ophthalmologist and Eyes for India founder Jacob Prabhakar’s marathon method for cataract surgery, most of the patients arrived having never undergone pre-surgical screening procedures—again, because of cost.
Volunteers had to quickly divide patients into who had undergone screening and those who still needed it, a task which turned out to be the biggest challenge.
“Healthcare ministry remains one of the most effective ways for the church to engage communities and reveal Christ’s love in practical ways,” Alexander Isaac, health ministries director for the Christian organization known as the Caribbean Union Conference, told Intramerica. “As we care for people physically, we also create opportunities to minister to spiritual needs.”
The majority of the procedures were minimally invasive, enabled quick improvement in eyesight, and rapid hospital discharge.
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