About 700 people from the Zambezi and Kavango regions are undergoing cataract surgery in Rundu.  

This annual surgical eye campaign is about improving eye health and empowering patients to lead fuller, more independent lives. 

Cataracts. a cloudy area in the lens of the eye, affects one's ability to see. 

Over 1,000 patients were screened for the surgical eye campaign in the past few months, but only 700 were booked, leaving a backlog of about 300. 

The Intermediate Hospital Rundu is packed with patients eagerly waiting to see Dr. Helena Ndume and her team of international and local experts. 

Dr. Ndume says that when she first came to the Kavango Region in the mid-nineties for the first surgical eye campaign, a lot of patients were sceptical about an eye operation. 

But as the years progressed, so did the patients' eagerness, judging by the hundreds of patients waiting their turn.  

Dr. Ndume says she could not have done it without the German donors. 

"These people, when they come, bring all their materials that we need for the surgery. Some of the materials were already sent here to us, they order everything directly from India or wherever, and they pay for the shipment without a middleman. So that they can buy a lot so that we can take care of our people."

The medical superintendent at the hospital, Dr. Jean Kabangu, says the campaign is more than just a medical intervention. 

"It is a testament to our commitment to human dignity and equality. Every person, regardless of their background or circumstances, deserves the gift of sight. By providing free and affordable cataract surgeries, we are not only treating medical conditions but also restoring hope and opportunity."

Dr. Ndume expressed her dissatisfaction with procurement-related processes in the Ministry of Health and Social Services. 

"We are suffering today in our Ministry of Health because of this middleman procurement tenderpreneur. That's why we don't even have medicine in our hospitals today because they are suing each other, and suddenly we can't get medicine anymore because they are suing each other. People are dying. It's just not nice. Thank God we have our Samaritans here helping us, otherwise, there will be no eye campaign happening here."

The weeklong surgical eye campaign will end on Friday, June 21 June.