FEATURE: Free cataract surgeries changing lives in Mpumalanga town

A spectacular view of lime-green tinted mountain tops surrounded us as we drove towards Tintswalo Hospital in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga.

But upon my arrival at the hospital, I was introduced to a queue of about 20 elderly and adult patients who did not have the privilege of even seeing my face, let alone the scenically rich view surrounding their community.

Seated on a long steel bench in green or orange hospital gowns outside the theatre, they had come from surrounding areas to see ophthalmic surgeon Dr Sachin Bawa and his team – specialists who took leave of purpose from their day jobs to perform cataract surgeries, free of charge.

Patients scheduled for eye surgeries can be seen waiting to be operated on by Dr Sachin Bawa at Tintswalo Hospital on 17 June 2021 in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga. Picture: Jacques Nelles

A cataract is a cloudy mist which forms in the lens of the eye, with the most common cause being a senile cataract, which is age-related and mostly affects people after the age of 60. Other causes in younger people could be steroid medication and diabetes.

Nurses first screened the patients at the eye clinic and those who appeared to have completely lost their vision were taken in for a quick rapid Covid-19 test before proceeding to queue for their surgeries.

With many of their family members waiting around with blankets, gowns and warm slippers in their hands, it was clear many of them bore the cold morning weather to make it first in line for the much-awaited operation.

The generosity of reversing blindness

What these patients do not know is that the reversal of their blindness was due to the non-profit work of the Tshemba Foundation, a local organisation which contributed millions of rands in refurbishing the eye clinic and purchasing the state-of-the-art technology.

The organisation brings local and international doctors of all disciplines and offers them the opportunity to give back to the Tintswalo Hospital and clinics for the population of Acornhoek and surrounding areas.

A patient undergoes an eye test a day after a cataract operation at the eye clinic at the Tintswalo Hospital in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga, 19 June 2021.

“A specialised service we offer is cataract surgeries because it’s so life changing and so immediate. You can change a person’s life in 10 minutes from being totally blind, which affects their whole family,” said the foundation’s chief executive officer (CEO) Barbara McGorian.

What used to be an old house on the property was refurbished and equipped to be what is now the busy eye clinic. What is now the high-end theatre was initially a store room, McGorian explained.

“We spent millions on the project. The state-of-the-art equipment is better than what some doctors have in their own private practice. The idea is to bring doctors from overseas so they can feel comfortable with the equipment which is world-class,” she told The Citizen.

A patient has her eyes tested at the Tintswalo Hospital eye clinic on 18 June 2021 in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Blindness, confusion and lack of understanding

I spotted an elderly man in an orange gown sitting on a bench outside with his murky eyes staring into the distance. Assuming he is completely blind as he tightly held onto his wooden walking stick, Ramsay Mohlala, 70, however convinced me that he was not.

“I have no issues with my eyes. I can see over there, but it looks like there is just a bit of smoke. My eyes don’t affect me that bad. I can see things up close but not too far,” as he points to the ground a few metres in front of us.

Ramsey Mohlala in the waiting area ahead of his scheduled cataract operation at the Tintswalo Hospital on 17 June 2021 in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga. Picture: Jacques Nelles

“I am just getting my eyes washed. They are just going to wash off the smoke from my eyes. I feel fine about that. I just need the smoke to be wiped off my eyes,” he quietly said in my ear.

He came from Mafihleng village and was accompanied by his daughter who had stayed behind at the eye clinic with his belongings.

But watching him nearly bump into walls and doorways as a doctor grips his arm while loudly navigating to Mohlala, I realised the “smoke” he spoke of was far more foggier than he described.

“He is totally blind. He can’t see anything,” his daughter eventually explained to me.

A doctor helps Ramsey Mohlala on his way to his cataract operation at the Tintswalo Hospital on 17 June 2021 in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga. Picture: Jacques Nelles

‘I’ve had this surgery before and it didn’t go well’

Next to Mohlala sat a quiet woman with a black Puma mask on her face. “Josephine Mhlongo” was written on her file, but with the incorrect date of birth. Since she could not see well, she is not aware of this error until I point it out.

I could tell from her silence and her arms crossed on her lap that she was nervous about the upcoming procedure.

Josephine Mhlongo waiting at the Tintswalo Hospital ahead of her cataract surgery on 17 June 2021 in Acronhoek, Mpumalanga. Picture: Jacques Nelles

“I have had this surgery three times before in my right eye at Tembisa Hospital in 2017. It did not go well at all. When they injected my eye, I felt the worst pain. It turned out they didn’t do the surgery well and I had to go back and do it twice again.”

This time, the 67 year old was getting the left eye operated on as it was totally blind. While her right eye had cleared after the 2017 surgeries, she said her vision suddenly blurred when she was walking home some time last year.

“I couldn’t see anything. I had to ask pedestrians in the streets to help me find my way home. My eye just suddenly stopped functioning.”

Catching a 20-minute taxi drive from her home in Islington village, Mhlongo was one of the first in line, arriving at the hospital with her 18-year-old daughter at 5am.

The Dr Bawa power

Expecting to find a tall, old Cuban man, I am surprised that Dr Sachin Bawa was just a 41-year-old South African ophthalmic surgeon from the Vaal.

Bawa had flown in that Thursday morning from Johannesburg and while he arrived just after 11am, he was already standing in the cold theatre room by 12.45pm awaiting his first patient.

Dr  Sachin Bawa, an ophthalmic surgeon, operating on a patient at the Tintswalo Hospital in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga, on 18 June 2021. Picture: Jacques Nelles

He had left his family and his private practice at Linksfield Hospital in Johannesburg to volunteer two days of his time to perform around 40 free cataract surgeries.

With Josephine in her Puma mask under him, he explained each process while indicating which machine he would use and why.

“The cataract is behind the pupil. We do micro incision procedures through a 2.4mm incision and we fragment the cataract with an ultrasound machine and then remove the cataract through the same machine to insert the artificial lens through the incision.”

Dr  Sachin Bawa, an ophthalmic surgeon, operating on a patient at the Tintswalo Hospital in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga, on 18 June 2021. Picture: Jacques Nelles

About 15 minutes later, Josephine was rolled out of the theatre while another patient was quickly rolled in.

Unlike her previous surgery, she was surprised that this procedure was quick and painless.

“I felt nothing. Is it over already? How come I felt no pain?” she asked in disbelief.

Josephine Mhlongo, right, sits with other patients at the Tintswalo Hospital after the ophthalmic surgeon, Dr Sachin Bawa, operated on Josephine’s eye. Picture: Jacques Nelles

ALSO READ: Giving sight to the blind – Vaal doctor’s free, life-changing work in rural Mpumalanga

The big reveal

It was a jovial mood at the eye clinic on the mornings of Friday and Saturday when patients finally removed their bandages, with many correctly pointing out the number of fingers held up in front of them by the nurses.

Sitting at the back, I recognised Ramsay Mohlala with his small face under a big blue winter hat.

He immediately recognised my voice and turned to look at me.

“I can see you today. I can even see the car behind you. I can see you are wearing a mask – a green one. I actually couldn’t see yesterday,” he finally admitted.

Ramsey Mohlala gets his eyes checked a day after his surgery at the Tintswalo Hospital. Picture: Jacques Nelles

For Josephine, however, it took several days for her vision to improve but she was looking forward to finally being able to read her Bible. She was put on a vigorous treatment of steroid eye drops to speed up the healing process and relieve pain.

Josephine Mhlongo at the Tintswalo Hospital a day after her cataract surgery during a check up at the eye clinic in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga. Picture: Jacques Nelles

But the surgery was of the most importance to her granddaughter, Thobile Nkuna. Nkuna was the only person who lived with Josephine in her house but she would be leaving for Tshwane next year to study medicine.

“I am so happy. I no longer have to worry about my grandmother. I would take care of my grandmother and cook for her as the steam from the pots was very bad for her eyes. I am very excited about this,” said Nkuna.

Josephine would then be left alone as three of her four children had died while her surviving daughter was married and living in Tembisa. Above her bed sat her Bible and a diary which she used as her phone book with numbers of friends and family written in extra large font.

Josephine Mhlongo at her home in the nearby village of Islington two days after her successful cataract operation while she recovers on 19 June 2021 i Mpumalanga. Picture: Jacques Nelles

She expressed surprise and gratitude when I told her Dr Bawa was not paid for restoring her vision.

“May God bless him. I had no idea. They are doing wonderful work. I can’t wait to read my Bible. That is what I miss the most. Someone once asked if they can have it and I refused. I told them that with God’s help, I will be able to read it again.”

Josephine Mhlongo, left, walks confidently with a walking stick at the Tintswalo Hospital the day after her cataract surgery on 18 June 2021, in Acronhoek, Mpumalanga. Picture: Jacques Nelles

rorisangk@citizen.co.za