Bright Journey to the Pacific: Chinese experts restore sight for cataract patients in Fiji

by Xinhua writers Guo Xinhui, Bai Yongquan SUVA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Under the bright surgical light at Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital in Suva, Fiji, Chinese ophthalmologist Liu Xialin gently reassured her patient as she carefully maneuvered a delicate microsurgical instrument. On the operating table was 86-year-old Male, who had lived with increasingly blurred vision for nearly two decades. As the cloudy lens in his eye was gradually removed, the haze that had long obscured his world began to clear. For Male, the operation was more than a medical procedure. It was a chance to see the world clearly again. "China's medical team has given me back my sight," he said the day after surgery, returning to the hospital and holding the doctor's hand tightly in gratitude. Liu, deputy director of the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center at Sun Yat-sen University, was leading a nine-member Chinese medical team on a six-day mission to Fiji from Sept. 14 to 19. During the mission, the team carried out cataract surgeries and laser treatments for 106 patients. BRINGING SPECIALIST CARE CLOSER For many Fijians with cataracts, access to specialist eye care remains limited. According to Shireen Shabina Ayub, acting head of department for the eye clinic at CWM Hospital, local doctors often rely on manual small-incision cataract surgery, as the hospital has only one phacoemulsification machine, mainly reserved for complex cases. She said the Chinese medical team brought not only surgical expertise, but also equipment and clinical experience that could offer a critical boost to local surgical capacity. Among the technologies introduced during the mission was "Chongming," a portable eye-screening device that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in cataract diagnosis. The device has an accuracy rate of about 90 percent in cataract screening, potentially allowing primary healthcare facilities to conduct basic eye examinations without sophisticated equipment. Fiji's Minister for Health and Medical Services Atonio Lalabalavu said AI-assisted screening could make it easier to identify patients who need treatment and referral, particularly in communities far from specialist hospitals. "We can cut down early onset of blindness due to cataracts, diabetes and so forth," the minister added. A PATIENT THEY COULD NOT LEAVE BEHIND The team had completed its scheduled operations and was preparing to leave when doctors encountered another patient in urgent need of treatment. The man had a history of limb amputation and relied on his family for daily care. An eye injury 27 years ago had left him blind in one eye, while severe cataracts had reduced vision in the other to almost nothing. Huang Shengsong, the team's chief cataract surgeon, was deeply concerned by his condition. The doctors decided to reopen their equipment and perform one more operation before leaving Fiji. A green channel was arranged for an emergency refractive cataract surgery. The operation went smoothly. Afterward, the patient's vision improved significantly, reaching 0.6. Overwhelmed with emotion, the patient and his family repeatedly thanked the Chinese medical team. A DECADE OF "BRIGHT JOURNEY" The mission was part of the China (Guangdong) "Bright Journey" program, which first came to Fiji in 2015. Since then, Chinese medical teams have performed sight-restoring operations on more than 500 people with eye diseases in the country. Over the years, the program has become well known locally. When people hear that "the Chinese doctors are coming", patients often arrive at the hospital early, hoping to receive treatment. "These days, we've learned a lot from the Chinese doctors. Thanks for the effort and skills they have given to our patients," said Vandhana Anand, a doctor with CWM Hospital. "We hope we can work together again in the near future."