MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Over 600 ophthalmology patients in the southern region recently benefited from cataract surgeries following a three-day medical mission here.

The annual initiative organised by the Florida-based Mind, Body and Soul ministry (MBS) for the eighth year is being commended for improving the vision of the 627 ophthalmology patients in its latest mission from May 25 to May 27 at Mandeville Regional Hospital.

Hospital officials say the 627 cataract surgeries surpassed last year’s figure of 577 surgeries and is the highest recorded number of surgeries over the eight years of the mission.

Consultant ophthalmologist at the hospital Dr Gavin Henry said Monday that the initiative is significant as it reduces the waiting list at the facility’s ophthalmology department.

“Even though we were moving ahead of time this year, we weren’t sure if everything would arrive on time as Customs always seems to keep us until the last minute like 48 hours, but everything worked out,” he said.

“We made a lot of calls to meet the target of 600 to get patients to come in. The truth is in the absence of the camp, the waiting time would be significantly longer. The standard of surgery was even better this year than previous years. We have been seeing the patients after surgery, it has been wonderful,” he added.

President of the MBS ministry Dr Hillary Morgan said the mission will continue annually.

“We are happy to have been here. Our mission statement for Mind, Body and Soul ministry promotes physical, mental and spiritual well-being in the communities that we serve. Despite the challenges, we made it here with the team and we continue to work together. We try our best no matter what to serve the patients,” she said.

Dr Nitin Shah, the leader of the mission, commended the team of doctors for continuously being a part of the annual mission and helping thousands of people.

“We did 3,097 cataract surgeries at this hospital. We have done 7,922 [eye] screenings. We have given out 3,774 eyeglasses. We checked haemoglobin [levels] for 799 people. In total we have touched 15,592 lives,” he said.

Meanwhile, chief executive officer at the hospital Alwyn Miller expressed gratitude to the mission team.

“We have had Mind, Body and Soul for eight years visiting this hospital to have a mission. In the first year it was 225 cataract surgeries — and that was a lot at that time — and we were amazed, and look at where we are now at over 600,” he said.