Media statement 13 October 2023
Cllr Rina Marx
MMC for Health
During the course of this week, I supported two major events, both of which had a specific focus on eyesight and visual impairment.
12 October 2023 marked World Sight Day. To support this, I attended an event at the Pretoria Eye Institute where 100 cataract operations were done on the day at no cost. In conjunction with Solidarity, the event targeted individuals who cannot afford cataract surgery, as these surgeries are life-changing.
World Sight Day is an important event on the health calendar as it seeks to draw attention to the importance of eye care, visual impairment and blindness. Eye care is especially important as it can help avoid vision loss in the long run.
This event was preceded by a White Cane Day march that I also supported on 10 October 2023. The White Cane Day march was an initiative for visually impaired adults and learners. The purpose was to raise awareness of the plight of those with visual impairments and to educate the general public about the importance of treating those with visual impairments as integral members of our communities.
The event was hosted by The Garden Social Services, a non-profit organisation that offers various community-based services, including empowering those with visual impairments.
These events are important, considering that over 2 billion people globally have a vision impairment, ranging from mild to full blindness. As the MMC responsible for Health, I would like to call on community members who are concerned about their eyesight to visit any one of the City’s primary healthcare clinics for a basic eye screening test.
Thereafter, a referral will be made by the clinic if required. This is especially true of high-risk patients, especially those with diabetes. Do not delay getting a basic eye screening.
Enquiries: Natashia Chhiba (natashiach@tshwane.gov.za)