OSHIKUKU – Dr Helena Ndume is a Namibian ophthalmologist renowned at home and internationally for her humanitarian work. She heads the Namibian National Blindness Prevention Programme and to date, her team has performed approximately 41 000 sight-restoring eye surgeries.
Targeting 1 500 people per year, they organise five outreach eye camps in different regions of the country, thereby taking their services closer to the people.
The health ministry is the custodian of the programme and has partnered with international organisations, such as SEE International (USA), Sehen Ohne Grense (Austria), and Kids and Poor Eye International (Germany).
The international organisations provide technical and material support, including state-of-the-art diagnostic eye equipment.
Ndume told New Era in a telephonic interview Saturday that her motivation to serve those less fortunate stems from her upbringing in her hometown of Tsumeb and specifically her township Nomtsoub, where sharing amongst the community was the norm.
“This spirit of sharing was also typical in Swapo camps,” she said, adding that her caring nature was solidified with the support she received during her time of studies in The Gambia and Germany.
Since May this year, Ndume and her team have restored the sight of more than 1 800 Namibians in Kavango East, Ohangwena, Kunene, and Omusati. Next is Oshana, where she is going to do the same miracles.
“I couldn’t have done this alone. It is teamwork. We have now Namibian ophthalmologists; some are currently doing internships,” she said.
Ndume added that the atmosphere at an eye camp when patients arrive is quiet, but that very place turns into a “circus” after people’s sight has been restored.
“Some start singing, dancing, and jumping while others cry and pray, thanking God for sending a special woman to them,” she noted.
“The pensioners will tell you how they will be able to calculate their pension money and can no longer be robbed by their grandchildren.”
Maria Emvula Okando could not contain her joy.
“I wholeheartedly thank our local and international doctors who came to restore our eyesight. We travelled long distances from various regions in the country in order to have our vision restored. Thank you and may these doctors be blessed,” said Okando soon after having her sight restored at the Oshikuku hospital on Friday.
Selma Thobias from Ogongo, who has been suffering from cataracts for three months, expressed gratitude to the Namibian government, saying, “During colonialism, we didn’t have access to such information. We often lived with people whom we thought were blind forever. We thank the doctors provided by the Namibian government for the assistance they offered us.”
– vkaapanda@nepc.com.na