Hospital: 80 get free cataract surgeries in Lahad Datu
Published on: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Published on: Tue, May 20, 2025
By: Azmie Lim Text Size: Dr Andi with some of the guests at the programme. LAHAD DATU: Eighty people received free cataract surgeries through a joint effort led by Lahad Datu Hospital and its partners. The operations were conducted on May 16-17 in conjunction with the Ministry of Health's K4M 2025 Carnival. Lahad Datu Hospital Director, Dr Andi Md Shamsureezal Mohd Sainal, said the programme was made possible with the cooperation from Duchess of Kent Sandakan and Tawau hospitals. He said the programme was backed by non-governmental organisations and corporate companies such as Rotary Club Sandakan, among others. 'We also received 80 intraocular lenses as well as two slit-lamp eye examination machines worth about RM110,000 from the Latter-day Saints (LDS) and essential surgical equipment and meals for volunteers contributed by the College of Ophthalmology, Academy of Medicine Malaysia (COAMM),' he said. 'The Chinese Chamber of Commerce contributed surgical instrument sterilisation unit (autoclave) worth RM18,000 and the phacoemulsification machines and surgical tools by Alcon and Johnson & Johnson.'
Advertisement Dr Andi said this during the closing ceremony of the programme at Lahad Datu Hospital. According to Dr Andi, the surgeries were performed by a team of six ophthalmology specialists, including one from Lahad Datu Hospital, four from Duchess of Kent Hospital Sandakan and one from Synergy Specialist Eye Centre, Kota Kinabalu. They were assisted by medical officers, nurses and allied health personnel from the three participating hospitals. 'The programme not only helps alleviate the burden of underprivileged patients but also exemplifies the close cooperation between the government sector and NGOs in increasing access for quality health service in Sabah,' he added. Also present during the ceremony were Dr Muhammad Hazim Sharum, Head of the Ophthalmology Department at Lahad Datu Hospital, Dr Chiang Wai Seng, Consultant Ophthalmology and Department Head at Duchess of Kent Hospital Sandakan, and Professor Dr Azhany Yaakub, Ophthalmology and Glaucoma Specialist from Universiti Sains Malaysia, representing COAMM, as well as Elder Brad Douglas of LDS and Evans Yong, President of the Rotary Club of Sandakan Utara. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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