A team of Chinese ophthalmologists are conducting free cataract surgeries for Sudanese patients in Khartoum, Sudan on August 15, 2016. (Xinhua photo)
KHARTOUM, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A team of Chinese ophthalmologists have started to conduct free cataract surgeries for Sudanese patients in Khartoum as part of a medical cooperation program between the two countries.
Sudan's Federal Ministry of Health organized a ceremony at a local eye hospital on Monday to inaugurate the therapeutic Light Program.
"This therapeutic program indicates the level of the distinguished ties between Sudan and China and their cooperation in what brings benefit for the two peoples," said Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz, Sudanese official in charge of maintaining Sino-Sudanese relations, when addressing the ceremony.
"Sudan and China are tending to make their relationship comprehensive and strategic in all fields. We hope this practical application would push the bilateral ties to a strategic level with mutual benefits," he said.
According to Sudan's Federal Minister of Health Bahar Idriss Abu Garada, the Light Program aims to conduct 1,000 free eye surgeries at an average of 30 operations a day.
"We launch the Light Program which tends to conduct 1,000 eye surgeries by specialized Chinese ophthalmologists, using the most modern medical devices, as part of the National Program for Combating Blindness," the minister said.
In his address at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Khartoum Li Lianhe reiterated China's concern with enhancing ties with Sudan in all fields and reviewed the health cooperation between the two countries starting about 50 years ago.
"The Light Program represents one of the practical steps that the Chinese government adopts in line with the outcomes of Johannesburg summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. It incarnates the idea of the Chinese side towards cooperation with the African countries according to the principles of devotion, true results, convergence and honesty," Li said.
The visiting Chinese medical team includes 15 ophthalmologists, surgeons, surgery assistants and medical technicians.
Ahmed Al-Ma'moun Ahmed, a Sudanese patient who had a cataract surgery by the Chinese medical team, expressed his appreciation for the Chinese initiative, which has assisted Sudanese cataract patients to recover.
"I was suffering from cataract and could not undergo the surgery which costs 5,000 Sudanese pounds, so when I heard that there was a medical team arriving in Sudan to conduct free eye operation, I did not hesitate to travel to Khartoum," he told Xinhua.
Ahmed lives at Kiraima area in Sudan's Northern State, some 371 km north of the capital Khartoum.
"Now I feel much better. I will wait for two days and then they will remove the bandage. I'm optimistic to recover my sight. Thanks for these doctors who are so humane," said Ahmed after the surgery.
Sudan is planning to reduce its blindness rates to 0.3 percent by 2020.
In 2005, Sudan launched Vision 2020 initiative to eliminate blindness diseases, which focuses on preventing the spread of trachoma and cataract, the two major diseases responsible for blindness in Sudan.
Xinhua News Agency
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