We conducted an interview with Ihsan Ozyurek, who joined IHH team and went to Africa to observe cataract operations performed by the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation.

How many operations did you perform so far in the region? What was the average age for those operated on?

I had been to Niger with an IHH team in 2006. I worked with a doctor, two nurses and health worker all from Turkey. FAKO machine couldn’t operate due to pulsating in electricity. Therefore, doctors had to perform open surgery. An operation took between 15 to 25 minutes on average. Operations were performed on two tables. The third doctor participated during preliminary work and when other doctors went for a rest. In this way, 450 operations were performed in four days.     

How did patients feel after operation?

It is not easy and healthy to ask patients what they feel right after operation, because patients might experience mild shocks during and after operation when they observe what is done to their eyes. Therefore, we find it more suitable to ask patients their feelings after they have overcome such shocks. Patients could notice the clarity in their sight at least one week after the operation. What we hear from patients after a week makes us feel proud and do our work more ambitiously and happily. During our visits to the region, every patient who has undergone operation expressed their thanks and gratitude. Some patients are operated on both eyes and their lives change completely after the operation. They can now go wherever they want without receiving help from anybody. The moment they first recognize the light is worth seeing. We are quite moved when they run without fearing they might hit somewhere, embrace their loved ones sometimes happily sometimes with tears of happiness and stare at them. How can this feeling be expressed? They can now see where they live and their loved ones.               

What moved you most during your stay there?

What I felt in every region I have been to but felt more strongly in Africa was the difference between the lives of people living or struggling to live in different regions worldwide. The conditions of African people, the problems they experience and their fight with the life are so different from ours…

What else do you think can be done to fight against cataract in Africa?

As it is known there are certain fundamental causes of cataract: Old age, certain diseases and long use of certain medication, blows, natal causes, etc. However, one of the main causes of cataract is weather conditions of Africa (longer exposure of eyes to ultraviolet rays, abundance of dust and lack of shelter against these factors) and undernourishment. These are known facts and activities continue to provide people with shelters against these. However, despite all activities and calls, the expected or desired level of support cannot be achieved. Therefore, it is crucial to support and increase help activities. 

You have been to Africa and observed local problems. Can you share with us your observations?

If we talk about problems across Africa, I think we will fail to voice all and will be driven into despair. Therefore, I want to briefly mention two problems with high priority and give some suggestion about development of the region. Children constitute a major part of the African population. This shows that children suffer more from health problems. Births in unhealthy conditions and nonexistence of precautionary measures after birth cause jaundice, polio and other serious and permanent ailments in children. More importantly is that African people are always in need of help. I believe Africans need educational support more than food and health aid. They need minds that will educate and inform them about life conditions they live in. And it will be better if these minds are chosen from them. To this end, youngsters should be singled out from very region and educated in idealist countries. In this way, they will learn to asses the conditions they live in and foreign aid will be more organized and will hit the target.    

Thank you for information you provided