A View of Kampala

Blog submitted by Krishani Ranaweera

Krishani is the Communications Manager at ORBIS UK and has been at ORBIS since February 2009.

The ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital is no stranger to Uganda. Twice before it has landed at Entebbe International Airport, drawing the attention of the country’s medical professionals, media and government.

I, on the other hand, am not so well-travelled. But as communications manager for ORBIS UK I was lucky enough to witness the excitement of the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in action for the first time when I flew to Uganda to capture its work with eye care teams in Kampala and volunteer medics from around the world.

On Sunday 28^th February I joined a UK journalist and a volunteer photographer at Entebbe to welcome the plane as it touched down for its third and final sight-saving mission in Africa this year. The plane and its crew had flown directly from Nigeria to Uganda, but there was no time for rest. Immediately, work began to convert the plane from flight mode to hospital mode; unpacking crates of delicate medical equipment and setting up the recovery and operating rooms.  We helped where we could as this well oiled machine readied itself for the mission ahead.

Mulago Hospital - our main partner - was the stage for screening day. Mulago’s ophthalmologists had each referred 30 patients. Together with the ORBIS volunteers, they decided on the best training cases for treatment onboard the Flying Eye Hospital, focusing on child cataract and squint as well as adult glaucoma. 

On a wooden chair in the corner, one boy waited his turn with a stillness far beyond his seven years. His name was Kitonsa Kasozi. His mother, Deborah, told us of his problems seeing the school blackboard and how she decided to come to Mulago to ensure his education. Kitonsa had a squint in each eye; his condition is common in Uganda so his treatment would make an excellent training case.  He was invited to board the ORBIS plane for an operation on Thursday.

It was heart-warming to know that ORBIS was funding the surgery of every patient I met that day. Whether onboard the Flying Eye Hospital or at Mulago by the programme’s local ophthalmologists, no one would go untreated.

On the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital the hard work and dedication of the staff and volunteers was plain to see.

And when Thursday came it was Kitonsa’s turn to board.

As calm as ever, Kitonsa greeted us with a smile and a high-five. Deborah, nervous but pleased to finally be here, joined me in the waiting area, whilst in the operating room volunteer ophthalmologist Dr Neely and Dr Grace from Mulago Hospital corrected the muscles in Kitonsa’s eyes so he could see straight for the first time in his life. In less than an hour he was in recovery with Deborah back by his side.

After the anaesthetic wore off – and thanks to a donated teddy bear – Kitonsa was back to his inquisitive self. Despite what must have been a painful and disorienting experience, he didn’t once cry, and with his lollipop and teddy bear in hand he and Deborah left the plane for a night at Mulago.

When we arrived early the next morning for post-op assessments, none of us were surprised to find Kitonsa and Deborah already there. They were grateful for the care they had received and didn’t want to keep anyone waiting. Kitonsa was doing very well. He will have to return for follow-ups, but his future looks bright. He told me that his favourite school subject is science and that he wants to be a doctor.  Deborah said she will support him in anything he wants to do as now everything is possible!

It was a rewarding week in so many ways. Patients have been given back the gift of sight and have given their neighbours the confidence to visit the hospital. Doctors have exchanged skills, and my team from the UK will share stories of the amazing people at Mulago hospital, onboard the plane, and of Uganda, with people like you.

Though the Flying Eye Hospital has been a beacon for eye care on several occasions there is much more work to do. The president is visiting the plane next week and we hope this will boost the chances of opening Uganda’s first ever eye bank. This is a much needed resource – objects in the eye are a major contributor to blindness and corneal tissue is needed for sight-saving transplants.

Although it was a week of firsts for me, this was already the third programme of 2010 for the Flying Eye Hospital. Another six missions lie ahead this year - six places where they will work with local eye care teams to provide treatment that will change the lives of patients forever. I won’t be there on those occasions, but I know they will continue to do amazing work.

You can meet Esther, another patient from Kampala in our Eye Report here: