Eye Cataract Surgery Flights - Again

After a long gap due to the current world health issues, Mercy Air has once again been able to resume its partnership with MAF/Flying for Life, and take a team of surgeons up to Limpopo to carry out eye cataract surgeries for under-privileged people.

As always this is a big day out, being airborne at first light to see the sun rise above the clouds when in cruise.

I'm always impressed by the range the Kodiak has - and will therefore likely always post a pic of the green range rings showing how far I could fly with the fuel I have on board. For scale, the length of the UK is just over half the length of Madagascar on the right.

I arrived at Grand Central Airport in Jhb at 06:30...

.. and met and loaded the surgery team.

Within 30 minutes we were on our way again for the 1h30/430km flight to Thohoyandou. Google Maps shows this as a 5h45 drive and that's with no traffic or stops! We were then met by the Health Department's minibus for the 1 hour drive the the hospital.

Then the real work could begin. The patients, many of whom had traveled to the hospital over the preceding two days, were screened...

.. before going upstairs to the ward to wait their turn.

 

While the doctors set up, I helped arrange and order the special lenses that we had bought up with us.

Then they were led into the operating theater...

.. where I was able to 'help' watch the procedure.

Prof was very good at explaining what he was doing and let me have a look through the microscope...

.. to reveal the milky cataract that he was about to fix.

There are all sorts of things that are apparently 'better than being poked in the eye with a sharp stick'. But for these people, this is probably one of the best things that can actually happen to them!

The team were able to complete all but one of the scheduled operations before the time was up and we had to return to the airstrip to be able to take off before dark.

The flight back was mostly uneventful - a small storm over Jhb when we arrived, and I actually got back home about 2200, just  in time to watch the second half of the final Premier League match of the day which ended Newcastle 1 v 4 Man United.

The bright lights of Johannesburg

 

This flight was scheduled to happen two weeks ago but in the preceding days it became obvious that the weather on that particular Saturday was going to identify as British, and there was no guarantee that we were going to be able to get into Thohoyandou at all - even Jhb would have required some special effort. We therefore decided to postpone.

 

I felt for the patients, some of whom had already started their journey, probably accompanied by family members, from their rural communities to the hospital. Their hope and anticipation of renewed sight dashed. Many have been on the waiting list for a few years - would it ever happen.

 

It feels good though when everything does come together - especially the weather! You fly home knowing that not only the patients have a new lease of life, but all those in their communities who surround them are likewise affected for the better.

Thank you.

Paul and Cathy