The Fred Hollows Foundation says up to a thousand people a year will be able to have their sight restored when a new operating theatre opens in Papua New Guinea in November.
The Executive Director of the Foundation in New Zealand says the existing eye clinic at Modilon Hospital in Madang Province has been renovated and the new operating theatre next to it will expand the capacity to treat avoidable blindness.
Andrew Bell says the project has cost US$600,000 and means free eye surgery can be offered to a huge back log of people with cataracts and a range of other eye problems.
"We're trying to drive the highest most appropriate level of standard for the developing world and we really believe that we've hit on something with the design features around this construction. But also most of all of course we're so excited about being able to treat more patients and being able to treat more complex conditions because we have a better facility for our staff."
Executive Director of the Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand, Andrew Bell.
