The National Ophthalmology Hospital is set to start operations next month, a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran said the theatres have to be sanitised and all but the laser equipment have been installed to facilitate surgeries.
The hospital started screening patients on February 9 for eye ailments such as cataract and pterygium and by last month-end over 4000 persons had been screened. A shortlist generated after the screening done at other health institutions revealed the 352 persons have been identified for surgeries: 94 for cataract, 252 for pterygium and six for laser surgery. Those who will need laser surgery will be done at a later stage, Ramsaran said.
GINA said mid-March the hospital introduced the low-cost spectacle programme at up to April over 200 spectacles had been distributed. The programme had also been conducted at the city, West Demerara, Diamond and Linden hospitals.
