05/07/2008
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Charity Case Studies - Writing & Photography SkillsCase Study for blindness charity ORBISEthiopia, May 2005 Words & Photography by Tine Frank As one of just three paediatric ophthalmologists in all of Ethiopia, Dr Abonesh is an ORBIS success story through and through. “Everything I’ve learnt in terms of paediatric ophthalmology, I have learnt through ORBIS,” says Dr Abonesh. 
Working at the Menelik II Hospital in Addis Ababa – the only paediatric
ophthalmology facility in a country with more than 30 million children
– Dr Abonesh and her colleague Dr Abebe Bejiga, another ORBIS trainee,
do the best they can to improve the country’s sad statistics. With one
of the highest blindness prevalences in the world, Ethiopia has an
estimated 100,000 blind children and millions more who are visually
impaired and at risk of going blind. An overwhelming task, no doubt. “It is very difficult, and we are facing a lot of problems,” explains Dr Abonesh. “We see a lot of paediatric cataracts here, because we have patients referred from throughout the country. The problem is that there is a very low awareness of blindness issues, especially in the rural areas, so by the time we see the patients, their conditions are often very advanced. And with children in particular, it is very important that we see them early on.” Two weeks earlier, one such patient was brought to the Menelik II Hospital. Ten year-old Masha and her father had been referred by their local doctor and had travelled the 200km to Addis Ababa by bus in the hope that the doctors here would be able to help them. Over the past year or two, Masha’s parents had noticed that she would bump into things and shield her eyes against the sun. When they finally took her to the local health station, she was diagnosed with bilateral cataracts, but unfortunately the doctor wasn’t able to treat Masha. 
Upon arriving in Addis Ababa, Masha was seen by Dr Abonesh who assessed
her vision, which at this point had been reduced to counting fingers at
3m on one eye and 2 on the other. Masha was scheduled for surgery, but
unfortunately she was coming down with a cold and therefore not fit
enough to undergo general anaesthesia. So Masha and her father would
have to wait. Which they did for two whole weeks – a long time for Abe,
who as the sole bread winner and with no means of communication was
worried about his family and eager to bring his daughter back home.
Because of this, Dr Abonesh decides to operate on both eyes at the same
time. “Normally, I would do two surgeries about a week apart, but I
worry that they would leave after one eye has recovered and I wouldn’t
see Masha again. Although we are not charging them for the surgery or
the stay, I know that Abe needs to go back and provide for his family,
so this way they will be able to return next week.”
The surgery passes without any complications, but Abe is visibly worried and unsure about what to expect. “We came here with nothing to lose – without the doctor’s help she would have led a whole lifetime in darkness. I don’t know what is going to happen to her now they have taken the things out of her eyes, but with God’s help she will be able to see again tomorrow. While I have been staying here at the ward, I have seen a lot of blind children who have had the miracle of sight after an operation, and I hope the same thing will happen to Masha. With God’s help.”  Dr Abonesh is very optimistic that the surgery will have a positive outcome; “Luckily, Masha had perfect sight until just a few years ago, so I very much expect that her vision will return to 100 per cent.” And indeed, the next day Masha is transformed. The introvert girl from just two days ago has been replaced with a smiley girl, happily chatting away with the other patients. Abe is tremendously relieved and offers a tired smile – all he wants to do now is bring his daughter back home. When asked what she looks forward to the most when she returns home, Masha says; “To help my mother. I used to help her with her household chores all the time, but lately I haven’t been able to. Now I can help her again and she will be very happy.” For Masha, being able to help her Mum means returning to a normal life.  For Abonesh it’s back to normal life as well; diagnosing and treating her patients whilst training residents and junior ophthalmologists from throughout the country. “We have been lucky to have the support from ORBIS,” says Dr Abonesh. “Our doctors, nurses and anaesthetists have all benefited tremendously. I very much look forward to the return of the Flying Eye Hospital in October, which will give us all another chance to update our knowledge and learn new skills.” |
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