THE National Ophthalmology Hospital (NOH), Region Six, has performed over two dozen operations since resuming cataract surgeries on February 13 and is working vigorously to clear a backlog of 2,800 cases which have accumulated over the past five years.

And with fully-booked theatre dates until March 10, the hospital is expected to do a minimum of 10 surgeries per day.

Medical Director of the facility, Dr Vineshri Khirodhar, said the focus is on clearing the backlog cases that have piled up over the years.

“We have a list of 2,800 to clear off, we are using that list, but if we have walk-in patients, they would see any of the ophthalmologists, they are screened and given a date. Patients come from throughout the different regions. We have patients and even Suriname… for the last five and a half years, no cataract surgeries were being done at the NOH. After assuming the position of Medical Director here in 2021, we have finally got to the stage where we have commenced surgeries and have been doing surgeries for the past five days,” she said.

Once the screening test is cleared, a date is set for surgery, Dr Khirodhar noted.

She explained that the facility has a very vigorous screening system patients have to undergo before being given the red light for surgery. When done and approved by a surgeon, a date for surgery will be given.

The Medical Director is hoping to clear the backlogged cases by the end of this year.

The hospital has been continuously doing minor procedures, and in 2021, it treated some 30,000 persons.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, speaking at a recent event in the region, highlighted that more than $100M was spent on refurbishing and purchasing equipment for the facility.

“We recognised that all the theatres were in a poor shape, the microscopes that were used to operate with they were in bad condition, so last year we spent in excess and $100M to start not just refurbishing the theatres, but buying the equipment; so by the first quarter of this year a lot of the equipment would be coming in and we have set aside additional resources to make sure that the hospital is fully functional. So a lot of the ophthalmological [procedures] that people had to go out of the region for we will be able to do it here,” the minister said.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Vasco Jardine, 73, said he had waited almost six years to have cataract surgery done on his left eye.

Jardine did surgery on the right eye at the NOH and had no complications and reservations waiting to get it done at the hospital again; however, he noted the long wait did make him frustrated, but he is now grateful that the facility is now offering the surgery again.