Tribune News Network
Doha
Under the slogan ‘Sight is a Right for All’, and with the generous support of the people of Qatar, Qatar Charity (QC) has launched two campaigns to combat blindness in Burkina Faso. These campaigns provided free eye exams and cataract surgeries to 200 underprivileged patients suffering from vision impairment, in collaboration with the National Blindness Prevention Health Centre of the Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso.
The campaigns targeted patients in the areas surrounding the city of Ziniaré, located about 40 kilometres from the capital, Ouagadougou. The eye exams were conducted at local health centres in the nearby villages, while the surgeries for both campaigns took place at the ophthalmology department of the regional health centre in Ziniaré.
The launch ceremony of the campaigns was attended by Mohamed Zorno, director-general of the Regional Health Centre in Ziniaré, Liliane Marie Allen Jonabo, director of the Minister of Public Health’s Office, and Olivia Widraogo, director of the National Blindness Prevention Health Centre.
The speakers praised the generosity of the people of Qatar in extending a helping hand to the most vulnerable groups in Burkina Faso. They emphasized the importance of these campaigns in providing an opportunity for visually impaired and blind individuals to regain their sight.
They also expressed their great trust in Qatar Charity’s ability to successfully organize and execute these initiatives.
The patients who benefited from the campaigns expressed deep gratitude for the surgeries and the efforts made to restore their sight. One of the beneficiaries, Haj Suleiman Widraogo, said, “From my heart, I thank everyone who donated to make these campaigns possible.”
He shared the challenges he faced due to his vision impairment, fearing that he might eventually lose his sight because of his inability to afford the costly surgery.
The campaigns focused on patients in rural areas, where extreme poverty and a lack of healthcare services are widespread.
The surgical interventions were conducted after thorough eye exams confirmed the need for cataract removal, allowing the patients to regain their ability to see.
