A doctor busy checking condition of a patient before she can undergo the eye operation. — Bernama photo
Jonin Nohe getting his free check-up at Hospital Bau. — Bernama photo
BAU: Sixty-five-year-old Jonin Nohe had cataract in his right eye, but almost gave up on getting treatment.
The senior citizen from Kampung Grogo in Bau went to see two eye specialists in Kuching, and both had estimated his treatment cost around RM2,000.
The surgery was prohibitively expensive for an old man like him without regular income.
For now, the father of seven could still perform his daily activities despite the clouded vision in his right eye.
However, he is still holding out hope in getting his eye treated, as the vision started deteriorating nearly a year ago.
New hope from KK1M
The launching of the 1 Malaysia Cataract Clinic (KK1M) in Sarawak on Sept 1 last year was like a beacon of hope for Jonin.
When the KK1M mobile clinic reached the Bau Hospital on Nov 11, the Bidayuh man made sure he was there by 7am to benefit from the free health screening.
While waiting in the screening room, Jonin noted that the medical staff were well-trained and the clinic well-equipped.
It had a cheratometer to measure the corneal refractional power, a digital retinal camera to photograph the back of the eye, an auto lensmeter to measure the length of the eyeball, and phacoemulsification tools and machinery to remove the cataract by emulsifying the lens ultrasonically.
Jonin was among the 441 patients who were served under the KK1M scheme at the Bau Hospital.
Fortunately for him, he was also among those who qualified for a cataract surgery at a cost of only RM540.
Good news for cataract patients
“I’m really happy today. I would have had to pay a high cost of surgery if I had sought treatment at a private clinic. KK1M only charged me RM540 (cost of lens), so I’m truly grateful to the government,” Jonin said to Bernama.
Another senior citizen who benefited from the treatment was 74-year-old pensioner Limber Nyuai, from Kampung Sibuluh, who had cataract in both his eyes.
In addition to that, in 2001, the former Road Works Department worker’s left eye was injured when a splinter flew into the eye while he was trying to remove a wasp’s hive from a tree.
A year later, he injured his right eye when a freshwater carp he caught jumped and hit the
eye.
“If KK1M charged as much as private doctors, I would not have gone in for the treatment.
“But the cost of this government service is so low that I would be a fool not to take advantage of it,” he said.
The septuagenarian hoped that his vision would be restored through the treatment.
Recurring cataract
Another senior citizen from Bau, Ijon Kedia, had cataract problems since 1985 and had undergone surgery twice in 1986 at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
However, a year later, his vision became clouded again.
The 71-year-old is hoping that KK1M could treat the problem he has been suffering for nearly three decades now.
He said he felt positive about the efficacy of the treatment he was about to receive just by looking at the latest equipments used by KK1M.
“The equipments today are sophisticated but we are not charged a lot for it.
“This has really lifted my spirits and hope in regaining full vision after the treatment,” he said.
Jonin, Limber, and Ijon were three out of the thousands of cataract patients who sought treatment at the KK1M in Sarawak.
A nominal fee for treatment
The KK1M programme coordinator for Sarawak, Dr Mohamad Aziz Salowi said the mobile clinic offered eye screening services and a full cataract surgery for the residents of the state.
“The patients are being treated by committed and experienced eye specialists. We charge a nominal fee for the best available treatment, so the clinic is helping reduce the burden of many patients,” he said.
He said a social medical officer would screen the cataract surgery patients’ list to see if they qualified for free lenses and surgery.
“If they don’t qualify, they will be charged a minimal cost of between RM500 and RM800 for suitable lenses in addition to a minimal surgery charge of RM103,” he said.
Affordable
The cost was much cheaper compared with what was being charged by private hospitals, he said.
An optometrist at the Sarawak General Hospital, Ku Hazemie Ku Ismail, who was involved in the eye health screening process for KK1M, said the response for the treatment was overwhelming.
He said many of the patients receiving treatment were over 50 years old and had high hopes of seeing their sight restored after the treatment.
Ku Hazemie believed that the mobile clinic had achieved its purpose, based on the great response.
More being treated
The Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the number of cataract surgeries performed nationwide in 2011 was 31,658, a three-fold increase from 2002, when only 12,798 surgeries were performed.
In Sarawak alone, 3,664 cataract surgeries were carried out last year, compared with 2,082 in 2008.
The government spent RM1.1 million on the KK1M project in Sarawak.
The clinic was a commendable effort by the government as it benefited not only the cataract patients in Sarawak, but the rest of the country as well. — Bernama