End in sight for distraught and unnecessarily blind man

Pearl (56) and Colin Ryan (60) live in Westbury with their children and live modest but dignified lives with the limited means available to them.

While life has not been easy, they are grateful for the little they have and are beloved members of their community.

Without access to private healthcare, they make use of public facilities such as Helen Joseph Hospital which they did in 2021 when Colin’s eyesight started deteriorating.

He saw an eye doctor who diagnosed him as suffering from cataracts, a condition that affects the lens of the eye, but one that can be easily treated with surgery.

An appointment was made for surgery and Pearl said the family was excited to have the problem attended to. That was the last time the family felt cared for and calm as the procedure had been postponed six times since then and Colin was now blind and at times suicidal.

Pearl is the sole breadwinner in the family with Colin being unable to work and their children either being unable to work or caring for their dad. Pearl has worked as a car guard in Melville for 27 years in the parking lot behind Mays Pharmacy.

Pearl said, “His operation has been cancelled six times and we are absolutely devastated. My husband sometimes wishes he could end his life because losing his sight has become too difficult for him to live with.”

She said he had a tentative appointment in November this year but it was a long time to wait and they were worried this would damage his eyes further.

Jack Bloom, DA Shadow Minister for Health said, “It’s cruel what has happened here and this length of time to get treatment is unacceptable. Sometimes people fall through the cracks, sometimes there are genuine delays. Either way, a resolution must be found quickly for this gentleman. Luckily this condition should not leave him with any damage to his eyes.”

The Northcliff Melville Times contacted Ngaka Xaba who handles among other things complaints for the hospital. Xaba said, “I am dismayed to hear of this delay in receiving the care needed. This needs to be urgently attended to and I want to help to find a positive outcome for the patient.”

He has advised Colin to visit the eye clinic next week and would ensure that he received the treatment he needed.

In a statement released by Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi in September 2022, the number of people on the waiting list for cataract procedures was 597 at Helen Joseph and 1 138 at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Johannesburg Hospital.

She said, “The cancellation of elective surgery because of the Covid-19 epidemic is a major reason for some of the backlogs, but shortages of equipment and personnel are also a factor. Helen Joseph Hospital could have done far more eye operations but they were short of blades because of the lapse of a previous tender for this crucial item.”

Statistics for January will be published in our follow-up article as we follow Colin’s journey to sight.