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An opthalmologist performs cataract surgery on a patient .
The Eastern Cape Department of Health says it will host a cataract surgery marathon on Thursday, in a bid to address backlogs.
The initiative, which is an annual multi-day event, will fast-track surgeries for patients who have been on waiting lists for long periods.
The program is also aimed at reducing vision challenges and mark World Sight Day, which is celebrated this month.
Eastern Cape Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa says the backlog is a result of resource and staffing shortages.
“As a province, we have, in terms of the cataract surgeries in the province, we’ve got about 4 000 people on the waiting list. But for the area that we’ll be touching on, which is the northern part of the province and which encompasses Joe Gqabi region, Chris Hani and some part of OR Tambo, we’ll be targeting about 100 people who will benefit from this.”
VIDEO | Anesu Madikane weighs in on cataracts and refractive errors:
