The Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP), as its name suggests, treats cataracts in Nepal with a rapid, low-cost microsurgery procedure developed by Dr. Sanduk Ruit and a not-for-profit lens factory that manufactures them for less than $5 each.
HCP offers its generous services far beyond the mountains of Nepal, providing needed surgeries to remote areas of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana. It is there that Dr. Mercy Dawson works to bring sight to many who are afflicted with blindness from cataracts.
Dr. Dawson is has nearly 20 years of experience as an ophthalmologist. In a recent profile, the reporter wrote, “During… outreach events, Dr. Dawson directly impacts the lives of those in need of care by performing cataract surgeries. When Dr. Dawson treats patients, she describes the moment after surgery as ‘profound’.”
“That moment after a successful surgery, when the patients’ eyes begin to perceive their surroundings and get accustomed to the light, my heart is warmed and all I feel is pure joy,” she says.
Dr. Dawson works with the National Cataract Outreach Program, which is a partnership between HCP Cure Blindness and Ghana’s Ministry of Health. The program supports young doctors interested in providing quality eye care, especially in rural and underserved areas. “Dr. Dawson believes it is her responsibility to mentor these young doctors. Her hope is for them to take over and advance the future of global eye care and provide for those in need of quality eye care.”
Read the complete profile here.
Related Links
The Himalayan Cataract Project
HCP: Partner Profile: Dr. Mercy Dawson
Angels in Medicine: Over One Million Surgeries
Angels in Medicine: Orbis International: Eye Doctors Wing it to Volunteer in Developing Countries