Eye Health Promoter Arnulfo leads 18 patients on cataract surgery trip
In early May Enfoque Ixcan eye health promoter Arnulfo Mejia accompanied 18 patients to the Alfonso Ponce eye clinic for cataract surgery. The clinic is located 4 hours south of Ixcan. Arnulfo stayed with the patients at the clinic for a week following their surgeries. He assisted them with their medications, their meals and was especially helpful to the older patients who required assistance in getting around. These patients will return to the clinic in a couple of weeks for another follow-up consultation. Besides 10 cataract surgeries, the doctors performed 4 surgeries to remove pterigia, or growths on the cornea. Ptergia are common in Ixcan due to the drying effects of the every present dust, wind, smoke and ultraviolet rays of the sun. The transportation for the trip was provided by the office of the mayor of Ixcan. We are very grateful for their help.
Enfoque Ixcan looks forward to the day when we will have our own clinic located in the Ixcan. This will be a place where Guatemalan eye doctors can come to do cataract and other eye surgeries and the patients will no longer have to do the traveling and be away from their homes and the care of their families. No other eye care services, including eye glasses and eye surgeries are available in Ixcan.
We have now funded nearly 180 cataract and other eye surgeries and 2500 pairs of eye glasses have been dispensed by Enfoque Ixcan.