Taking a gift of sight to new heights

Wang Lihua, an oculist from Jinan, Shandong province, says there have been many intangible rewards from providing free eye care to people in the Tibet autonomous region.

The 67-year-old eye expert now works as the dean of Jinan Huashi Eye Hospital, after retiring from Shandong Provincial Hospital. Since 2006, he has been to Shigatse six times to provide patients with free cataract surgery.

Located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the "roof of the world", Tibet is home to many farmers and herdsmen suffering from a variety of eye-related afflictions, due to the high altitude, thin air and intense ultraviolet radiation, with cataracts being the most common.

In 2006, Wang was among the first group of more than 10 oculists organized by Shandong provincial government to conduct free cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation for over 300 patients in Shigatse. He was deeply touched by people's attitudes towards them.

"Their pure smiles, and the tears they couldn't hold back because they were so excited to be able to see the world again, deeply touched me. It made me feel that I should carry on the program to help more Tibetan people regain clear vision," says Wang.

Three years later, Wang, together with several other oculists, went to Tibet for the second time to provide free surgeries to 110 cataract patients in five counties. In addition, they went to primary schools to conduct eye checkups on students and taught them how to take care of their eyes.

In Nyalam county near the border of Nepal, the medical team cured a 73-year-old woman who had lost her sight because of cataracts on both of her eyes. The woman had to rely on her husband for years.

When the woman took off the gauze patches the day after her surgery, she was able to see the world again. Tears ran down her face.

"She expressed thanks to us for bringing hope to her and her family," Wang recalls.

When asked what she wanted to do now that she had regained her vision, she replied: "Before, my husband took care of me, but now I am able to see. I will take care of him."

"Her answer was simple, and her eyes were as pure as a child's," says Wang, adding that it consolidated his determination to carry on the program of providing eye care for people in Tibet.

In 2012, Wang led a medical team to Tibet for the third time. And they received a 3-year-old girl, Penchung, who was born with cataract.

"Congenital cataract is more complicated than age-related cataract. Congenital cataract surgery needs an enclosed environment," says Wang.

Limited by local medical conditions, the girl was taken to Jinan to undergo surgery.

"She opened her eyes after I removed the gauze patches for her. I saw an expression akin to fear on her face. But when she saw her father by following his voice, she had such a joyful smile on her face," Wang says.

While providing cataract surgeries to Tibetan people, Wang noticed that most cities in the region didn't have any facilities for screening, diagnosing or curing strabismus, also known as "crossed eyes", and amblyopia, sometimes referred to as "lazy eye".

"As two common eye diseases for children, strabismus and amblyopia can lead to a loss of eyesight if they don't get early treatment," says Wang.

In 2020 and 2021, Wang led a medical team to provide cataract surgery in Tibet. Meanwhile, they conducted eye checkups for thousands of children in the region to screen for such conditions, as well as myopia.

The team has so far conducted corrective surgeries on 52 Tibetan children to cure their strabismus.

Every time Wang went to Tibet, he had to struggle with high-altitude stress. He needed to take painkillers and sleeping tablets at night. Last year, he went to Tibet as scheduled, even though he hadn't completely recovered from a prostate surgery which he had undergone two months earlier. It added further personal challenges to the trip.

Wang plans to leave for Tibet this month, if the pandemic situation allows, for his seventh visit to the region. This time, they will review the conditions of the children who had treatment for strabismus and amblyopia over the past two years. And they plan to conduct 100 free cataract surgeries.

Wang plans to check the eyes of all the children in five counties of Tibet within the next five years, providing those who need it the proper treatment.

"I am delighted that I am needed and recognized by local people. Their trust encourages me to do more and to do it better," says Wang.