Chinese government funds cataract surgeries under the Bright Journey Eye Care Mission for Kiribati in 2023 (linked to Record ID#104137)

Project narrative

From September 21–26, 2023, a Bright Journey ophthalmology team from Guangdong Province, led by Professor Chen Weirong of the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center at Sun Yat-sen University, conducted free cataract surgeries at Tungaru Central Hospital in Tarawa, Kiribati. The mission was part of Guangdong’s 17-day “Medical Mission to the Islands – Bright Journey” program in Fiji and Kiribati, which performed a total of 93 cataract surgeries. In Tarawa, the team treated local patients with advanced cataracts, including long-term blind individuals, using a restored ophthalmic microscope originally donated by China in 2019. The program was supported by the Chinese Embassy in Kiribati, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services of Kiribati, and the second Chinese Medical Aid Team to Kiribati (Record ID#97267). The Guangdong team concluded its work and returned to China on September 30, 2023.