The eye surgery marathon that restored sight for some South Africans

Gladys Khoza had missed being able to see her family. Not because they couldn’t visit, but because the 84-year-old had vision problems.

Now that has changed. Khoza is one of 133 people whose sight was restored during a “marathon” of free cataract surgeries conducted by doctors in South Africa at two hospitals over two weekends last month.

“Wow!” a delighted Khoza whispered as a nurse peeled back a bandage a day after her operation, and the world came back into view.

“Can you see me?” the nurse asked. “Very well,” Khoza replied, a big grin on her face.

Patients in South Africa’s public health service can be on waiting lists for years for the simple 15-20-minute cataract operation. Officials said some of those who were selected from hospital waiting lists for the surgeries had been waiting since 2019 to see properly again.

Cataracts are a common, often age-related condition in