The Turkish Red Crescent has started a cataract surgery project for over 500 people in Somalia who otherwise could not afford it.
The initiative will span the cities of Mogadishu, Galkayo, and Dolow, and cover both surgery and medication expenses for cataract patients, according to Taner Kurt, the deputy head of the Turkish Red Crescent Somalia delegation.
The project was announced on Monday at the National Eye Hospital in the capital, Mogadishu.
Hawa Yasin, a 70-year-old displaced by drought, told Anadolu news agency that she has been unable to get treatment for years due to her inability to afford the surgery.
'Very grateful'
"I have no money to see a doctor. I live in a camp. For years I couldn’t see properly. When I couldn’t afford the hospital expenses, I stayed like that. But today, the (Turkish) Red Crescent covered the costs of surgery and exams. We’re very grateful to them and the doctors," she said.
Aasho Saciid, who brought her four-year-old son – whose eyes were damaged due to measles – to the hospital, expressed her happiness after the surgery, as her child will now be able to see her.
In many African countries, including the Horn of Africa nation of Somalia, thousands of people lose their eyesight every year due to hot weather, nutritional deficiencies, and climatic conditions.
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