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In St. Kitts, we met our local hosts at the General Hospital, and immediately launched into a clinic of 50 to 60 patients per day. A number of conditions were treated, including glaucoma, conjunctivitis, pterygium, cataract, and strabismus.
Sixteen surgical procedures were performed, including a combined cataract/glaucoma operation on an elderly gentleman, and strabismus on a 3-year-old boy. This was perhaps the most gratifying, as his mother had told us he did not play with other children and refused to even look in a mirror because of his appearance. Following the strabismus surgery to straighten his crossed eyes, his mother reported that he spent three days staring into a mirror and laughing gleefully.
Clinics were also conducted on the sister island of Nevis at a local hospital where several surgical cases were then brought to St. Kitts for definitive repair. Our hosts provided modest housing and a functional but dilapidated Fiat that was gingerly used on a day off to tour around the island.
All in all, it was a very satisfying experience. I learned a lot about the kindness of people, the beauty of the Caribbean islands and also how to better conduct future eye missions. For example, a team to pre-screen patients for surgical candidates would be an effective improvement.
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