The Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio is making history as the first to establish an eye health care facility in the whole country following the laying of the Foundation Stone for the Clinic at St. Theresa Nzara Hospital in Nzara County of Western Equatoria State on February 4th 2021.
The facility once established aims at providing solution to eye problems among people of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio and beyond.
Speaking during the event, Dr. Sunguza Ambrose an Ophthalmologist from Central African Republic who trained in eyes care in German said that when he and other eye specialists first came to South Sudan Western Equatoria State in 2008 for an eye care medical camp, they were moved by the situation as huge number of citizens turned up for the medical camp, the majority of who had already lost their eyesight.
Owing to the fact that there is no single eye care clinic or eye care specialists in the country people with extreme eye problems are usually referred to Khartoum in Sudan, Kampala Uganda or Nairobi Kenya to seek major treatments. Since the majority of citizens cannot afford such travel expenses to the neighbouring countries, many of have lost their eyesight due to lack of treatment.
Dr. Sunguza said that after winning the project from partners in Germany to construct an Eye Care Clinic in the country of his choice thought it wise to bring it to South. This is due to his long term friendship with Barani Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala the Catholic Bishop of Tombura-Yambio whom he said showed him great hospitality and friendship when he was still a priest served as Rector in a Refugees Camp in Mboki in Central African Republic. Additionally, Dr. Sunguza Ambrose is married to a South Sudanese woman from Western Equatoria State and as a show of gratitude to the people of South Sudan, he chose to establish the clinic in Western Equatoria State.
“When people have eye problems, it affects all their socio-economic status as they often become dependent on others to move around. Once you have an eyesight problem, you will underperform, you will not be able to read and as such, it is not possible to work either in a public or private office,” the ophthalmologist said, adding that when a child has an eye problem it is difficult for them to perform well in school.
