By Amin Kef (Ranger)

Choithram Memorial Hospital (CMH) has announced that it will hold its 2026 Cataract Surgery Camp from March to May following the success of its 2025 outreach program that restored sight to more than 1,500 Sierra Leoneans.

During last year’s initiative, the hospital screened 9,117 patients and performed 1,542 free cataract surgeries, offering thousands the chance to regain vision and significantly reducing preventable blindness in the country.

Hospital authorities confirmed that the 2026 camp will once again be free of charge. The program will be organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Choithram Netralaya (Eye Hospital) in Indore, India, the Noor Dubai Foundation under the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) in Dubai and the Choithram International Foundation.

Screenings for patients are scheduled at CMH, Freetown, from 2nd September 2025 to 15th February 2026. Patients requiring surgery will receive either Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS) or Phacoemulsification, performed by visiting international surgeons working alongside CMH’s ophthalmology team.

The hospital also highlighted that the camp will focus on training local doctors and nurses in advanced cataract surgery techniques to strengthen Sierra Leone’s eye care capacity in the long term.

Members of the public experiencing cataract-related vision problems are encouraged to attend the screenings. Tokens for participation will be available from 27th August 2025, between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM at CMH. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/choithram-memorial-hospital-set-to-restore-more-sight-with-2026-cataract-camp/