Guatemala: Dispatches from Gift of Sight camp ~ Tahir Ahmad

I watched relationships form between the patients and their doctors as they put their trust in the medical team and were later grateful about their about their ability to see. It was great witnessing and assisting in the process.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Gift of Sight / Humanity First
By Tahir Ahmad | October 31, 2011

The Gift of Sight mission to Guatemala has been a rewarding experience. We traveled to a small town located about two hours away from Guatemala City. Many people in this area were the descendants of the historic Mayan civilization and only spoke Quiche, their native language; some also spoke Spanish, and very few spoke English. Those who were able to translate among them did so voluntarily, and they stayed with us throughout the week. It was a pleasure meeting and interacting with them.

I spent a few of days helping check the vision of dozens of patients with the eye chart, the auto refractor and few other tests, and later helped with selecting the best pair of eyeglasses for them. Dr. Malik, the optometrist on the team, had given a nice overview on the use of various equipment, and my previous experience working at Lens Crafter’s optical lab also helped me in providing these services.
In addition to serving others through vision correction, one of the best things about helping in the optometry clinic was being able to practice my Spanish skills as well as gaining experience in communicating and getting to know the local Guatemalans.

I also had the opportunity to assist with cataract surgeries for an entire day. These were primarily older patients with severe cases of cataract. It looked as though there was an opaque solid cloud in front of their eyes. These patients really couldn’t see much because of the protein degradation of their lens. I was able assist in the following ways: administering a course of dilation eye drops before the surgery, inserting an IV in to the vain to maintain hydration and allow for sedative drugs before and during surgery, administered sedation as directed, sanitizing the eye with iodine solution before the operation was performed, and supplying equipment as needed during the operation. In the operation, the original lens with the cataract is cut and removed with surgical tools and is replaced with an artificial one in its place. I could only imagine the stamina and dexterity required by Dr. Ahsan to perform the operations. Initially, I was a little daunted when watching the instruments in the eye but quickly got over it.

Majority of the patients behaved really well during the surgery; however, one patient moved so much that we thought we might have to terminate the surgery before its completion. I was able to hold his arms in restraint during the entire operation. I watched relationships form between the patients and their doctors as they put their trust in the medical team and were later grateful about their about their ability to see. It was great witnessing and assisting in the process.

The overall experience with the team and those who volunteered to help us has been wonderful. I look forward to keeping in touch with people I’ve met and worked with during this trip.

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