A humanitarian initiative in Indonesia is expanding its free cataract surgery program from Belitung Island to communities in East Nusa Tenggara, with organizers aiming to restore sight to hundreds of people.
Gerakan MataHati Peduli Kesehatan Mata, or the MataHati Eye Health Care Movement, conducted a free cataract surgery mission on Belitung Island from Aug. 21 to 23.
About 54 patients registered and underwent medical examinations and screening to determine their eligibility for surgery.
The medical team included about five doctors from Palembang, South Sumatra, one doctor from Bangka Island and a local ophthalmologist from Belitung. They worked with dozens of health workers, local organizers and volunteers.
A family’s humanitarian initiative
The mission is part of a wider campaign to provide free cataract surgery for 1,010 eyes in several parts of Indonesia.
The program also commemorates the 101st birth anniversary of the late Pandji Wisaksana, who lived from 1925 to 2022. His family chose to mark the occasion through humanitarian work intended to benefit people in need.
Speaking on behalf of the MataHati Movement and the Pandji Wisaksana family, Stephen Pandji, Wisaksana’s youngest son, said the target represented more than a numerical goal.
“Behind every operation is a human being—a father or mother who wants to see their family clearly again, or someone who hopes to return to work, read, walk safely, and live more independently,” he told LiCAS News during the opening ceremony in Belitung on Aug. 21.
Stephen said the program was made possible through cooperation among doctors, health workers, local committees, volunteers, supporters and community members.
The family said it hoped patients would regain not only clearer vision but also greater independence and confidence.
Mission expands to East Nusa Tenggara
Following the Belitung mission, the MataHati Movement plans to continue its free cataract surgery campaign in Soe and Sabu Raijua in East Nusa Tenggara.
The mission at Soe Regional General Hospital in South Central Timor Regency aims to perform surgery on 150 eyes.
Another 150 eyes are expected to be treated at Sabu Raijua Regional General Hospital, bringing the combined target for the two locations to 300.
The East Nusa Tenggara mission is being organized in cooperation with the Cataract Blindness Prevention Department of the Indonesian Ophthalmologists Association, known as DPBK PERDAMI.
The partnership covers patient screening, surgical procedures, medical supplies, intraocular lenses, postoperative eye drops and follow-up examinations.
Organizers said South Central Timor and Sabu Raijua were selected as part of efforts to reach communities with limited access to specialized eye care.
Vision loss can affect a person’s ability to work, care for themselves, move safely and participate in family and community life.
Organizers said cataract surgery can help patients regain their independence and return to daily activities.
For the Pandji Wisaksana family, the program has become a way of turning a family commemoration into continuing service for people who need eye care.
