Dr Zimudzi: saving sight in Zimbabwe

Dr Kudzai Zimudzi is an Ophthalmologist working at CBM’s partner hospital in Zimbabwe. He is one of only five doctors in the entire country qualified to carry out cataract operations on children. Read this blog to find out more about Dr Zimudzi and his work saving sight in Zimbabwe.

What are the biggest barriers to people accessing eye health in Zimbabwe?

People often don’t know where they can get help – or they can’t even afford the journey, so by the time they are referred to a hospital for treatment their eye condition is incurable. That is difficult, I will never get used to it.

How do you find working with children?

I like my little patients. For them I can change something and make a real difference.  I think it’s not much more difficult to operate a child’s eye than an adult’s eye. But the examination before and after is definitely more challenging! Since becoming a father myself, I know some special tactics to put children at ease.

What do you find most rewarding about your work?

Every eye is different, every patient is different and everyone has their own story. When I can help people that gives me a good feeling. The strongest moment is always when I remove the bandages after an operation – after eight years as an eye doctor this moment still touches me in the same way like on my first day as a doctor. It is a very emotional moment.

Other fathers spend lots of time at work, but only a few have the chance to give sight to blind children like I do.

Does your faith influence your work?

My faith is always in the background. Before every operation, I address a greater power and plead for a good outcome. After so many years in the operation theatre you never know what will happen.

How you can help

Together we can train more eye health heroes like Dr Zimudzi, to ensure lasting change in the world’s poorest communities. By supporting our See the Way appeal, you can help people living with sight problems to access sight-saving surgery, glasses and support so they can go to school, read and write, get around safely and support themselves and their families.

Until 12th May 2020, public donations to our See the Way appeal will be doubled by the UK government. So your gift could help twice the number of people to See the Way to a brighter future. Match funding from the UK government will improve access to sight-saving eye-health services in Malawi.