The Military Hospital of Kanombe has launched eye operations of corneal transplantation for people living eye problems.
This is a surgical procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue (the graft) in its entirety (penetrating keratoplasty) or in part (lamellar keratoplasty).
The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber.
Exclusively speaking to igihe.com, Lt. Col. Dr. John Nkurikiye, the only Rwandan specialist Consultant Ophthalmology noted; “we have been doing it at King Faisal and it is the first time here at Kanombe Military Hospital. We have been importing corneas but since the government passed the law, we are up to set up an eye bank in Rwanda and then Rwandans themselves can then be sensitized to start donating cornea tissues.”
Nkurikiye added that only 43 patients in history of Rwanda have been given new corneas and that now the process will always be conducted twice a year.
While at Kanombe 4 patients were operated and fixed with corneas imported from the US.
Yvone Uwamungu 28, living in Kayonza district, Eastern Province stopped teaching after she was affected by the problem.
“It was in 1997, when I went to private hospital; they failed to work on me and instead told me that operation is not done in Rwanda. I therefore went to South Africa but still it did not work out.” Uwamungu pointed out.
She added that she came back and went to King Faisal and doctor Nkurikiye transferred her to Kanombe hospital where he operated her from today.
The whole process of transporting and fixing of the corneal goes up to Rwf1M
The graft is being removed from a recently deceased individuals with no known diseases or other factors that may affect the viability of the donated tissue or the health of the recipient.
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