Eye Eye Captain

Last week I finally managed to get off the ship to see what our eye and dental teams are doing here in Benin.

To help us treat as many people as possible in Benin Mercy Ships have rented a warehouse near the dockyard and turned it into a 'Hospitality Centre'. Inside are our two air conditioned eye unit tents where incoming patients are first assessed before coming onboard for surgery. It's also where those who've had a cataract removel or other surgery go to get their check up and lazer treatment after surgery. This cuts down on a lot of the crowding on the dock.

Also inside the warehouse Mercy Ships have built a self contained sleeping area with 38 beds for people who have travelled to Cotonou in preparation for their surgery and have got here a bit too early (sometimes two weeks too early), or for those who have had surgery and are fit enough to leave the ship but need a few more days of rest prior to travelling home. Again this frees up the beds onboard the ship and allows us to treat more people and look after them better as well during the pre and post op period.

Our plans this year include free surgery for 3,000 people with cataracts, 190 with Pterygium, 100 with strabismus.

Patients return for their final check up after succesful cataract removal. aka the Roy Orbison Fan club.