Cataracts and the elderly in Pakistan
The elderly population who are suffering from eye conditions in Pakistan also often have social and emotional needs which treatment providers need to take into consideration. Many of them live in extreme poverty with a lack of access to clean water, food and adequate shelter. Our trained doctors and nurses not only provide the necessary the medical treatment but also ensure that patients have the basic necessities needed to survive once they leave the camp.
We also know that we need to challenge the misconceptions and incorrect medical advice surrounding cataracts to be able provide the treatment many people so desperately need. In Pakistan commonly held misconceptions about eyesight problems leads many families and individuals to avoid seeking treatment. We have heard how people have told that cataracts is contagious and that unaffordable, yearly surgery is needed. Families have been led to believe that surgery is rarely successful and could lead to a deterioration in eye sight or even result in blindness. Many patients have even been given a wrong diagnosis and so their cataract surgery has failed to make any difference to their eye sight.