The "miracle" to re-see (from BBC World)

Through the project, a Cuban-Venezuelan "Operation Miracle", about 1,500,000 people have recovered sight.

"Of the 37 million blind people in the world, half may go back to see if they were operated for cataract with a cheap and rapid surgical intervention.
The estimate pertains to the Cuban doctor Marcelino Rios, director of the Pando Ferrer Ophthalmological Hospital, where he was born the project "Operation Miracle", an initiative by the governments of Cuba and Venezuela which has restored sight to 1,500,000 persons.
Although it all began here, where there have been 500 operations in a single day, the initiative was extended to 61 other ophthalmologic centers donated and serviced by Cuba in 20 countries in Latin America and Africa.
The operation is completely free and seeks to benefit those who do not have economic resources to finance the price of ophthalmologists in their countries.
The number of diseases covered is long: the most common is the cataract but also operates glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, trachoma and onchocerciasis.

In only 10 minutes
Public health authorities allowed foreign journalists to enter the hospital, even operating rooms where dozens of patients operated on an enormous speed. . Restore sight to cataract patients is delayed 10 minutes.
The teams are composed of four people: a wizard and a tool serving the surgeon, the surgical microscope which shares with another doctor who observed the operation. They work all day and just leave the operating room to eat.
Luis Curbelo, one of the surgeons who are in the halls of the Pando Ferrer, told BBC World that normally takes place in eight to ten operations. "But I had 50 days to reach." . In the absolute majority of successful cases, he added.
"From a medical point of view and I think a human good, thousands of people who have recovered thanks to this vision. I have to run people over 10 countries in Latin America," Curbelo said before re-entering the operating room.

Shapes and colors
Clemente Romero had cataract surgery when he spoke with BBC World.
"The operation is quite fast and was a success, the only downside is that I have a little discomfort in the eye and the fast that I had to do," said the elder.
Romero's story is repeated with each person interviewed in the Pando Ferrer Hospital, are Cubans, Salvadorans, Jamaicans and Haitians. As Clemente, could not believe what happens, the miracle of returning to perceive shapes and colors.

The medical center will triple its capacity with a new theater that will be involved in several patients at once, as he explains the director of the hospital, which now has 34 surgical microscopes.
"All that is Operation Miracle is paid for this poor country," Rivers told the BBC World and explained that the costs are high: "A surgical microscope is costing us 75 euros but there are a thousand essential equipment bought in Europe, worth 125 thousand euros. "
"Although we do not buy in the U.S., also has affected the economic embargo. In Germany, the (company) Zeiss had to change a computer's camera Kodak because it was not allowed to sell to Cuba," said the director the hospital.

Hope u liked this article, and inspire us to make lil changes and pre-concepts in world.. just to make it better. ^^
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Interesting...

nice find!