The Omusati Eye Surgical Campaign by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, led by ophthalmologist Helena Ndume, restored sight to 360 elderly at Oshikuku.

The week-long eye surgical campaign restores patients' vision by removing cataracts, which is a clouding condition on the eye that causes reversible loss of vision.

The eye cataract removal campaign, which started on the 9th of this month and ended on the 14th, targeted to operate on 450 patients.

Omusati Governor Immanuel Shikongo met with campaign officials as well as patients.

"I really didn't expect to find such a large number of people; really, I came to find out that there are our mothers and our fathers who are here, all of them due to the fact that they have lost their eyesight, but really the ministry and the campaign itself have really put in the efforts of making sure that these elderly people have recovered their seeing abilities."

Health Director in the Omusati Region, Dr. Alfons Amoomo, said, "The purpose of this campaign is to remove cataracts. A cataract is the cloudiness of the eye, and most of the cause is age-related, most of the people when they reach about 60 to 70 develop cataracts, and for you to be able to see, the procedure is to remove that cataract."

Reflecting on what the eye campaign means to her, Ophthalmologist Helena Ndume says, "The best thing for me, when I have this eye campaign, is to sit in the theatre and say, 'Next patient, please,' 'Next patient, please.'" That makes my day, but the organisation of this eye campaign so that everything runs smoothly, that is so difficult to organise. You have to do the paperwork and so many things, but with the help of everyone involved, everything runs smoothly."

Meanwhile, Lylie Nangolo, one of the elderly people from Omugulugwombashe, whose sight was restored, cheerfully had this to say, "I have not been seeing for a year, but I can see you now as I am talking to you, and my grandchildren will be very happy when I get home. We thank you so much, we have come from far."