Central hospital gets high-tech eye camera

THE Windhoek Central Hospital on Friday unveiled a new state-of-the-art fundus eye camera expected to speed up accurate eye diagnosis.

A first of its kind in Africa, the German-manufactured Visucam machine that cost N$900 000, is a corporate gift from the Ohlthaver and List Group company, Namibia Breweries Limited Group.

The eye clinic at Ward 5 West treats over 100 patients per day.

The system has advanced features which enable doctors to diagnose diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and a host of other eye-related diseases which can cause blindness.

Ophthalmology specialist Helena Ndume, who heads the eye department, said the machine will reduce eye patients’ waiting time from the current seven hours. As they no longer need to dilate the eyes, they will be able to help many patients in the shortest time possible.

Ndume said the machine is advanced because it can take a picture of the eye and then show the problem. Before now, doctors used diagnostic eye drops to dilate patients’ eye pupils to see behind the eye.

“When you dilate the pupils, the vision becomes blurred for seven hours before it comes together again. With this machine, you do not need all that. You just take a picture of the eye, and see everything behind the eye.”

“It helps with the diagnoses of seeing where the problems are,” she explained, adding that the pictures taken by the machine can also be used to lecture medical students who want to specialise in eye care.

“We are very fortunate to have the machine, as it will make our work easier. To be treating patients with the highest technology means they do not need to be waiting for too long.

Some people are very old and are diabetic, so they cannot sit here the whole day. This will really help in this regard,” she said. State ophthalmologist Sven Obholzer said they have set a new standard in Africa’s ophthalmology field, and this will go a long way in detecting eye complications. Health permanent secretary Andreas Mwoombola said government was facing problems in the face of the current financial downturn and requires the private sector’s support. Ohlthaver & List’s national marketing manager Rosemary Shippiki said buying the machine was just one way of demonstrating their corporate social responsibility.

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