First corneal transplant performed at Alexandra Hospital in Nevis

Nevis: The first-ever corneal transplant at the Alexandra Hospital in Nevis has been successfully performed. This marks a significant milestone in the development of the healthcare system of the island nation. 

The very first procedure was performed by Dr Roberto Pineda from Harvard Medical School at the Alexandra Hospital under the project "Vision for All" along with Dr Hubbe and Dr Crespo. This procedure took place to correct the vision of a patient who was suffering from Keratoconus.

Under keratoconus, the eyes of the patient start getting thinner and bulging into a cone shape ultimately leading to a vision loss. The early detection and management of the disease becomes important as it helps to manage vision through preventive measures and regular monitoring. 

The initiative was notably led under the Vision for All, which is a non-profit US-based organization, which is focused on providing critical eye care services to understand the communities. This initiative is being led with a thorough partnership with the Ministry of Health through the Nevis Eye Care program.

Under this program, screenings for vision impairment and vision-threatening eye diseases such as diabetes, Glaucoma, retinopathy, Cataracts, and Pterygium take place. 

Professionals from international eye care volunteer under this project and visit twice annually, performing all the services. The services are subsidized, with patients only having to pay a bare minimum fee to avail of all the services. 

Following the update shared by the Premier of Nevis, Mark Brantley, the citizens of the nation under his post congratulated the authorities for taking this historic step. 

Premier Brantley himself applauded the accomplishment as he captioned his post, “Sometimes we just have to let the work speak for us. Huge congratulations to all those involved in creating history at Alexandra Hospital in Nevis.”

A user under his post wrote to the Premier to consistently share updates on the patient over time through photos. 

“I hope for excellent recovery, in days, weeks or months post another photo. Please,” he wrote. 

Another user extended his wishes and expressed hope for more such initiatives. “Congratulations that’s a big step in healthcare for our little Federation. Hope we see many more of this type of surgery to those who need it,” she said.  

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