Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - With a total 210 cataracts removed and 1,400 opthalmological examinations carried out, AFMAL concluded its last humanitarian mission ‘restore light’ in Gao, Mali. AFMAL (Associazione con i Fatebenefratelli per i Malati Lontani) works in collaboration with the Italian airforce to fight neglect blindness.
Twenty five civilian and military doctors and nurses and support personnel operated from 25 November at the Regional Hospital of Gao (50,000 population) on the River Niger, southern doors of Sahara) to remove cataracts which blinds almost 80% of the people in this part of Africa.
On the flight to Africa besides AFMAL mission personnel there was a 50 year old man with serious neurological problem who had worked in Italy for some years and in recent months was affected by an ictus which made him unable to work. Thanks to this mission he has rejoined his family in Benin where he will receive treatment.
“We operated between 25 and 30 people a day - said Brother Benedetto Possemato, a mission leader and AFMAL national vice president - This steady pace meant we performed more operations than on earlier missions. These important results are the fruit of commitment on the part of everyone and the modern equipment at our disposal. This time thanks to the airforce we took to Gao two latest generation operating microscopes the same we use in our most modern hospitals”.
With this mission and other missions in Gao at the beginning of 2004, in Bali and the last in Togo, altogether AFMAL has helped 900 regain their sight and examined the eyes of 3,800 others in this project “restore light”. (AP) (9/12/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe:27; Parole: 347)
