Community health workers on the spot over blindness

Deborah Motsilenyane, a government principal health officer has said some of the workers were trained to create awareness about strategies to prevent eye problems and blindness but failed to perform the task because they lacked commitment.

As a result, some elderly people express mixed feelings about eye treatment and surgery, Motsilenyane said at a workshop organised by the Ministry of Health (MoH) yesterday in Gaborone. She said despite the fact that eye care services are offered for free, patients - especially elders are reluctant to access them. Sometimes when they are consulted during out-patients sessions, they opt for old age blindness as a remedy rather than surgery.