Standing in the middle row, fifth from left, is PDG Philip Chong, alongside fellow Rotarians and volunteers who share a common commitment to serving their communities.
THERE are few abilities we take for granted as much as the ability to see. We open our eyes in the morning and see the faces of loved ones, the sunlight through the window, the road ahead and the world around us. Yet for many elderly and low-income villagers in Sabah, good eyesight is something they have gradually lost, not because blindness is inevitable but because treatment was often beyond their reach.
This is the story behind the Gift of Sight Sabah, a Rotary humanitarian project that has spent almost two decades bringing eye screening and cataract care to rural communities across the state. At the heart of the initiative is Past District 3310 Governor Philip Chong, the initiator of the Gift of Sight Sabah project. District 3310 covers East Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Johor and Malacca. His vision was to bring together Rotary clubs, medical professionals, hospitals, sponsors and international partners to help Sabahans who were losing their sight because they faced difficulties accessing and affording treatment.
As a Rotarian and Past President of the Rotary Club of Kinabalu Sutera, I have had the privilege of participating in several of these cataract camps in Penampang, Beaufort, Pitas, Kota Marudu and Kota Belud. At each, I have witnessed the compassion, professionalism and teamwork that make the project possible.
The story of the Gift of Sight Sabah, however, goes back further than the project itself. According to Philip, its roots can be traced to the Rotary Club of Likas Bay’s long involvement in medical camps. Since 1995, medical camps had been an important community-service activity of the club. Inspired by Rotary International President Frank Devlyn’s emphasis on preventing avoidable blindness during the Rotary Year 2000–2001, the club began incorporating eye screening into its medical camps for rural communities.
In 2006, the Rotary Club of Likas Bay launched the Rotary Avoidable Blindness project under the theme “Check Regularly, See Clearly.” It comprised an Avoidable Blindness Campaign to create awareness in urban areas and an Avoidable Blindness Outreach to bring screening and awareness directly to rural communities. The first outreach was held in Sook, Keningau, that year, with an astonishing 1,105 villagers registering. The response demonstrated just how great the unmet need for eye care was in rural Sabah.
The project subsequently reached Nabawan, Paitan and Pitas, but its early years were difficult. Camps depended largely on sponsorships and contributions, making them irregular. Philip estimates that only about four camps were held between 2006 and 2016. The commitment, however, never disappeared. The first Rotary Global Grant in 2016 became the turning point, providing more structured funding and enabling the project to develop into a more sustainable cataract-care initiative.
Philip’s concern was reinforced by the findings of the National Eye Survey 2014, which highlighted Sabah’s serious eye-care challenges and a higher prevalence of blindness owing to cataracts compared with the national level. Rural communities faced additional obstacles, including poverty, lack of awareness, long distances from specialist hospitals and difficulties with transportation.
In keeping with Rotary’s 2015–2016 theme, “Be a Gift to the World,” Philip brought together Rotary clubs, medical institutions, sponsors and international partners to develop the Gift of Sight Sabah. The initiative’s first Global Grant, Gift of Sight Sabah 1.0, was valued at approximately US$85,000 (RM357,000), with funding from HSBC Bank Bhd through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, District Designated Fund (DDF) contributions from Rotary partner Districts 3500 and 3523 in Taiwan and District 3310, contributions from six Rotary clubs, and matching funds from The Rotary Foundation.
The grant enabled the project to provide 1,009 intraocular lenses for cataract surgery, as well as reading glasses for those who needed them. This development was a significant step forward. The Gift of Sight Sabah was no longer merely identifying people with poor vision; it could now help provide the treatment they needed.
Over the years, the project expanded to Sook, Keningau, Tambunan, Kota Belud, Ranau, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Kudat, Paitan, Beaufort, Sipitang, Lahad Datu and Tawau, among other locations. Philip estimates that about 40 eye-care and cataract outreach camps have been conducted across the state.
I have personally experienced this expansion through my participation in the camps. What makes these camps especially meaningful is that medical services are taken to the communities instead of expecting elderly villagers to travel long distances to hospitals. In remote areas, poor roads, limited transport and distance can make access to specialist care particularly challenging.
Today, 12 Rotary clubs in Sabah are involved in Gift of Sight Sabah 4.0. The Rotary Club of Likas Bay remains the lead club, working together with the Rotary Clubs of Kota Kinabalu, Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu South, Luyang, Kinabalu Sutera, Penampang, Kota Kinabalu Pearl, Kota Kinabalu Mandarin, Sandakan, Sandakan North and Tawau. The clubs take turns hosting camps in designated districts. The host club manages the venue, registration, publicity, meals, transportation and logistics while Rotarians and Rotary spouses from other clubs provide additional support.
Each camp requires considerable preparation. Around 60 volunteers are normally involved, with medical personnel, doctors and trained Cataract Finders coordinated in advance. Collaborating hospitals provide specialist assessment and follow-up cataract surgery. Ophthalmologists and medical personnel come from Queen Elizabeth Hospital and other government hospitals in Sabah while private medical institutions such as KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital and Jesselton Medical Centre similarly contribute trained personnel. The Malaysia Medical Association Sabah Branch is another cooperating partner.
For beneficiaries, the process begins with registration and preliminary screening by trained Cataract Finders, followed by examination by medical personnel. Those requiring further treatment are referred to hospital ophthalmology departments. Specialists determine whether surgery is necessary, and for deserving patients approved under the project, Rotary provides the required intraocular lens. The patient then undergoes surgery and receives follow-up care.
At the recent Beaufort camp, 248 residents received eye examinations and 61 were identified for cataract surgery or further specialist treatment. They were given appointments for further assessment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1 Eye Clinic.
The financial assistance can make a considerable difference. Cataract surgery, including an intraocular lens implant, can cost around RM5,000 in a private hospital, depending on the treatment required. The Gift of Sight Sabah provides free intraocular lenses to deserving B40 patients undergoing cataract surgery at government hospitals, substantially reducing their financial burden.
The most compelling part of the project, however, is immeasurable in ringgit or numbers. Philip recalls a woman from Pitas, only in her fifties, who had completely lost her eyesight because her cataracts had become too severe. Despite attending the screening camp twice, her condition had progressed to irreversible blindness. The experience deeply affected him and strengthened his determination to reach cataract patients before it was too late. Although cataracts are treatable, early detection and timely intervention are crucial to preventing avoidable blindness. Her story highlights the importance of early detection and awareness, as some elderly villagers fear surgery while others remain unaware that treatment is available.
Since its inception, the Gift of Sight Sabah has screened approximately 10,000 villagers and facilitated around 2,700 cataract surgeries, in addition to providing reading glasses and helping patients access specialist eye treatment. Yet many remote communities are still awaiting access to these vital eye care services. Continued funding and medical specialists will be essential if the project is to expand its reach.
The Gift of Sight Sabah has become much more than a series of cataract camps. It is an example of what can happen when Rotary clubs, doctors, hospitals, volunteers, international partners, corporations and donors come together around a simple humanitarian purpose. Every life touched becomes a testament to the enduring power of compassion and the gift of sight.
I have since come to appreciate that the true gift of sight lies far beyond the medical treatment itself. It is found in the simple joys of seeing the world anew, recognising a familiar face, reading a book and embracing life with renewed independence. After 20 years, Rotary’s journey continues, bringing the gift of sight and the promise of a brighter future to more Sabahans, one life at a time.
Dr Richard A. Gontusan is a Human Resource Skills Training and Investment Consultant. He writes on academic, economic, political and social issues. His views expressed in this article are not necessarily the views of The Borneo Post.