China's cataract eradication project restores eyesight for 3,891 patients in SE Cambodia

PHNOM PENH -- China's GX Foundation-backed Cataract Blindness Elimination Project for southeast Cambodia's Prey Veng province concluded on Monday, helping restore eyesight for 3,891 cataract patients, officials said.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Civil Service Minister Hun Many and Leung Chun-ying, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of GX Foundation, attended the project completion ceremony held here.

In addressing the event, Many spoke highly of the Cambodia-China cooperation in providing eye check-ups, treatment and free surgery to all cataract patients in Prey Veng province since December 2022.

"This project had successfully regained vision for a total of 3,891 cataract patients as well as provided eye check-ups to some 7,600 people," he said. "This project is invaluable for the people in Prey Veng province."

The Cambodian deputy prime minister said restoring eyesight for a patient has not only helped the patient himself or herself, but also positively impacted the patient's family as well as the local community.

"On this occasion, I would like to express my profound gratitude to the Chinese government and the Chinese people, especially the GX Foundation and the Chinese ophthalmologists, for their active contributions to the Royal Government of Cambodia in promoting the health sector and improving the well-being of the Cambodian people," he said.

Many said the project had also significantly contributed to strengthening the expertise of Cambodian ophthalmologists and other aspects of capacity building in the ophthalmology sector of the health care service in Cambodia.

"The participation of Chinese ophthalmologists in this project has also helped raise awareness of eye health and prevention of vision loss at the community level," he added.

The project undoubtedly contributed to the two countries' efforts in building a Cambodia-China community with a shared future, he said.

Leung said through the 18-month project, the GX Foundation and the Health Commission of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region had organized eight batches of 63 medical personnel to complete 3,891 free cataract surgeries in Prey Veng province.

"We are grateful to patients for sharing with us their great joy after regaining their eyesight, to patients for sending us some agricultural products, and to our friends and vendors at a vegetable market nearby the dormitory for taking care of our medical team," he said. "These are all under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a vivid embodiment of the spirit of people-to-people connectivity and sharing."

Cambodian Health Minister Chheang Ra said the project in Prey Veng province was the second China-aided project after the first one ended in 2019, restoring eyesight for more than 6,000 cataract patients in the southeastern Kampong Cham province.

"On behalf of the people in Prey Veng province and all patients, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the GX Foundation and the Health Commission of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for their support and sending of the ophthalmologists to provide free cataract surgery to the patients in Prey Veng province," he said.

Ophthalmologist So Sopanhavatei, director of the Prey Veng Provincial Referral Hospital, said the project had greatly benefited cataract patients and other eye patients in the province.

"After they have received free cataract removal service, they have not only regained their vision, but also returned to their jobs and lived with their families happily," she told Xinhua.

Dim Phon, a 64-year-old cataract patient in Prey Veng province, said she was thrilled to see the world again after having her cataracts in both eyes removed by Chinese ophthalmologists.

"Now, I have my vision restored, I feel very happy. There is nothing that makes me happier than this," she told Xinhua. "Now, my vision is absolutely clear, I can see even a small ant."

Phon showed her sincere gratitude to the Chinese doctors from the GX Foundation for helping restore sight for her and other patients in Cambodia.

A cataract is a condition where the natural lens in a person's eye grows opaque. Various things can cause cataracts including an injury to the eye or too much exposure to bright sunlight.

In the Southeast Asian country, cataract is the main cause of blindness. According to a national estimate, about 0.32 percent of the country's 17 million population suffer from cataracts.