A team of 5 eye care specialists have saved at least 34 Niueans from a surgical trip to New Zealand by having cataracts removed here in Niue.
The two eye surgeons in the team, Dr Sarah Welch and Dr Penny McAllum, explain the team attended to an estimated 300 patients in the space of 2 weeks here in Niue.
The team said this is the first time they’ve practiced modern cataract surgery with equipment having finally arrived on the island. In monetary terms this is a saving of hundreds of thousands of dollars which has been of tremendous help to the team and people of Niue.
Through the procurement of the machines they’ve done twice the number of surgeries.
In terms of prevention and taking care of your eye health they advised managing your diabetes and better still to avoid diabetes by watching what you eat. And also taking extra care of your eyes by limiting exposure to direct sunlight and to wear sunglasses.
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