The Capricorn Foundation recently donated essential equipment valued at N$250 000 to the Eye Clinic in Namibia, providing crucial support for individuals with visual impairments.
Many Namibians rely on the government’s healthcare services, which include optometry. The health ministry’s Eye Clinic at the Central Hospital in Windhoek was established for this purpose, to support patients with treatment and restore the vision of those who are visually impaired.
The eye care team operates across Namibia through various smaller eye clinics, outreach campaigns and at the Intermediate Hospital Oshakati and Windhoek Central Hospital.
The Capricorn Foundation purchased four new slit lamps for the Windhoek Central Hospital Eye Clinic and the Oshakati State Hospital. Slit lamps are essential tools for the detailed examination of the eye. These state-of-the-art instruments will play a significant role in diagnosing and monitoring patients with visual problems.
“Health is one of the Capricorn Foundation’s primary focus areas, and as Connectors of Positive Change, we are proud to partner with the Eye Clinic in supporting visually impaired patients across Namibia to receive treatment for preventable blindness and other visual impairments,” said Marlize Horn, executive officer of the Capricorn Foundation.
Through the Eye Clinic, Horn said they are helping to improve the quality of optometry in public eye clinics. The Eye Clinic has already made great strides by recently assisting 598 patients with cataract operations.
Horn added: “We applaud Dr Helena Ndume and her dedicated team for their commitment and dedication in running the Eye Clinic in a professional manner and for reaching out to patients in rural areas, changing the lives of many Namibians”.
Patients attend eye clinics, and often, complicated cases are referred to the Intermediate Hospital Oshakati or Windhoek Central Hospital thus, patients from all regions in Namibia benefit from these slit lamps for a wide range of eye conditions across all ages.
With these slit lamps, the eye care team can now tend to an average of 100 patients daily, contributing significantly to the efficiency of the eye clinic and with care, these slit lamps can provide healthcare to patients for many years to come.
Ndume, who is the head of the Ophthalmology Department, Central Hospital said they are grateful for the Capricorn Foundation’s generous donation, which helps blind patients regain their sight and helps seeing patients retain theirs.
“The quality of life this adds to their lives cannot be measured in monetary terms. On behalf of every healthcare worker whose work will be made easier by using these slit lamps, and especially from each patient who will benefit from these donated slit lamps, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Capricorn Foundation,” she said.
The foundation provides financial and non-financial support to various projects, programmes, and organisations, ensuring sustainable and impactful implementation, spanning its outreach spans all over Namibia, driven by their strategic focus areas and achieved through robust networks and collaborations with like-minded entities. They concentrate on combating significant diseases, mental health issues and disability programmes, reaching over 3 000 individuals and patients through various initiatives and programmes.