The Zola-Jabulani District Hospital (ZJDH) visited the Soweto Home for the Aged at Central Western Jabavu last week Friday, to screen the elderly for Glaucoma.
According to the team, this visit formed part of the Department of Health’s way of sensitising the community about this condition especially in seniors.
ZJDH’s Optometrist Brenda Makulana said, the disease is normally found in elderly people, however, it can also rarely be found in the younger age groups.
“Glaucoma can be caused by three major things which include a traumatic accident, it can be hereditary and it can be due to several illnesses.
“We screen the elderly and refer them for further tests and treatment at the hospital because we know that they scarcely give attention to such illnesses unless they are sick,” Makulana said.
One of the elderly people who was screened, Gilbert Khawulela, said he has not being seeing well for a long time so he was happy for the opportunity.
“My eye was stabbed some time ago and this has caused a problem for me”, he said.
While the other seniors waited to be checked for what the optometrist called pressure in the eyes, the Eye Care Nurse, Sister Sarah Modikoane explained to them what Glaucoma is.
She said that Glaucoma is when the mucous fluid in the eye builds-up at the back of the eye without moving.
This lack of movement then causes pressure and the pressure ends up clouding the eye’s retina which causes the person to ultimately become blind.
Hospital public relations officer, Jerry Mosasane said that the hospital is part of the community of Soweto and as a result, will always contribute to the wellbeing of its citizens including the elderly.
He said what was a concern for them, was that the community waits too long before they do their regular eye check-ups, therefore this needed to change.
