Peking University, Sept. 5, 2014: Following the April trip to Bahamas, a group of eight ophthalmologists left Beijing for the Commonwealth of Dominica, with the task of operations on cataract patients.

The 72 thousand people in the Commonwealth suffers high risk of cataract, partly due to the intense sunlight near the equator. There is only one ophthalmologist on the whole undeveloped Carribean island, unable to deal with the “brown-lens” with complications like diabetes, hypertension or glaucoma.

But things changed this August.

After a 40-hour trip, Professor Yang Liu and her colleagues arrived in the country’s capital Roseau on August 8. At the Princess Margaret Hospital, 27 people received their preoperative examination on the same day.

Up till August 15 local time, with the examination stage all finished, 44 operations had been done successfully, 82 reserved, and 89 more patients were to be operated in the following week. An emergency case was also treated.

For the country where no previous phacoemulsification had been performed, this “Bright Trip” is not only a blessing to cataract patients, but also to local medical staff -- preparing them for future independent phacoemulsification.

Group members:
Yang Liu, chief of ophthalmology;
Li Mei, chief physician of ophthalmology;
Zhao Liang, doctor in charge;
Wang Shaoyan, nurse;
Zhang Yue, nurse;
Wang Lihong, nurse in operating room;
Chen Yuan, engineer;
Zhang Xingxing, secretary.

Written by: Chen Runxi
Edited by: Arthars
Source: Peking University First Hospital