Suralco Helps Bring Sight to Ditabiki Villagers
Suriname Aluminum Company (Suralco) aided a Knoxville medical mission team by shipping vital supplies and equipment including surgical supplies, surgical microscopes, cataract phaco units, medications, 2000 pairs of eyeglasses and support items to Ditabiki, a village on the Tapanahoni River in Suriname.
During their week in the village the surgical team, led by Dr. Darian Smith, performed 39 cataract surgeries on patients, mostly elderly and many of which were village leaders whose advanced cataracts were severely affecting their vision. The team provided patients with reading glasses after surgery.
The optical team screened 350 patients, providing prescription or reading glasses to over 300. These patients included children, young adults and elderly.
Vision care is virtually nonexistent in this village due to its remote location.
“The shipment was absolutely critical to the success of out trip,” says Dr. Joe Childs of the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, “we could not possibly have transported the necessary items independently.”
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Medical volunteers and patients in Ditabiki
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