US Medical Volunteers Offer Eye Surgery

An American volunteer team of eye doctors in the Marshall Islands is about to start providing cataract operations and other services for nearly two weeks.

This month’s ophthalmology team visit, organised by California-based Canvasback Missions, is following up on a successful visit made about the same time a year ago.

It will be followed in August by the arrival of a team of ear, nose and throat specialists, who will also spend two weeks screening patients and conducting surgeries.

A Canvasback team coordinator, Jacque Spence, says the eye team will focus on doing cataract surgery, diabetic retinopathy laser treatments and dispensing glasses.

The team expects to do about 200 cataract surgeries. Majuro Hospital medical staff has been pre-screening scores of patients in preparation for visit.

Canvasback Missions has been providing medical and dental services to the Marshall Islands since the 1980s.