CEO of Charlotte Maxeke-Johannesburg Hospital, Dr Barney Selebano
Professor Carmichael, Head of Ophthalmology
Representative of Ster-Kinekor
Senior Managers from Charlotte Maxeke-Johannesburg Hospital
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It is an honour to be invited to witness one of those rare occasions when one of our foremost public hospitals restores sight to young people who would have been condemned to a lifetime of blindness.
According to the South African Medical Journal, the national waiting list for corneal grafts during the first quarter of 2007 totalled 1 738 adults and 146 children.
Many state public hospitals no longer keep up-to-date waiting lists because of the scarcity of tissue. During 2006 in the whole of South Africa, only 516 corneal transplants in adults and 33 in children were performed using the national eye bank tissue.
Program director,
Injuries to the cornea and other diseases which affect the cornea contribute to the majority of young people going blind. I am told a number of factors contribute to people damaging their corneas.
In most cases when symptoms present themselves, they are not taken seriously, often leading to complications.
That is why it is important to have eyes tested at least once in two years. We also acknowledge that there is a shortage of donated corneas in our country.
This shortage is also compounded by prohibitive costs which can come up to R25, 000. Patients who do not have medical insurance are therefore disadvantaged due to these high costs.
Hence we express our heartfelt gratitude to Ster-Kinekor for having funded these transplants.
It is partnerships like these that embody what the State President referred as the social compact.
I also take this opportunity to commend Ophthalmologists from Charlotte Maxeke Hospital for having offered their expertise to restore the sight of these youngsters. I have confidence in your expertise; I know that this procedure will be a success. You have always proven yourselves unparalleled and equal to the task.
I also applaud the Chief Directorate of Health Programmes for having taken the initiative to source sponsorship to ensure that corneas are purchased.
Before I conclude I would like to challenge our health promoters to ensure the eye health is taken seriously at primary health care level, including at schools.
Some children have eye problems which are undiagnosed because eye-health is not accorded the seriousness it deserves.
This eventually impacts negatively on their capacity to learn while at school. All symptoms of eye discomfort especially among children should be taken seriously.
Information at our disposal proves that a number of people, who are blind due to this condition, are young children who suffer vernal conjunctivitis that makes them scratch their eyes constantly and most of them are in impoverished areas.
The condition leads to permanent blindness and disability.
The person affected cannot continue with everyday activities, cannot study in a mainstream school and has to rely on other people to assist him or her with everything. A child’s future is thus bleak after being diagnosed with the condition.
The South African public is not tissue transplant-conscious. Much more needs to be done to instil a nationwide awareness of the need for donor tissue. Ideally at some point in their adult lives every South African should be confronted with the choice to become a willing organ donor. It is therefore very important that we encourage corneal donations in order to cut the costs that are associated with importation from countries such as the United States of America.
I want to repeat that regular eye testing is very important for early diagnosis and treatment.
I thank you.
