Nkhoma Eye Hospital
A patient is diagnosed with Cataract by CBM's co-worker - Dr Metcalfe at Nkhoma Eye Department. Photo: CBM
Project Partner: Presbyterian Church of Central Africa
Project Number: 354
Nkhoma hospital is situated in the central region of Malawi. It's about 50km south east of Lilongwe. The hospital is run by the Nkhoma synod of the Presbyterian Church of Central Africa and serves some of the poorest people in the world.
The Eye Department is primarily responsible for providing eye care to the neighbouring Lakeshore District, with a population of about 2 million. The estimated prevalence of blindness is 1%, of which 50% of this is due to Cataract. Glaucoma and Corneal Scarring are the other leading causes of blindness.
The Eye Department, which houses an outpatient clinic, ward and an operating theatre. Their opthalmologist runs regular eye clinics and also does eye surgery - both and the hospital and during outreach (mobile clinics) trips.
CBM UK funds Dr Metcalfe - one of six opthalmologists who are covering the whole of Malawi.
More than 18,000 outpatients visited the eye department during 2007 and more than 2,600 cataract operations were performed there. The Eye Department also dispenses, and makes and sells glasses - more than 4,000 pairs changed hands here in 2007.
Nkhoma is jointly linked with neighbouring Lilongwe Eye Hospital, to Princess Alexander Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh, Scotland. The link provides research, vitreo-retinal service and opthalmic training.
Further Information
- Dr Metcalfe features in our Prayer Diary which you can order from our Resources Section.