THE Elena Barraquer Foundation of Spain, in conjunction with local doctors, is tomorrow set to perform free cataract surgeries at Chitungwiza Central Hospital.

The eye surgeries are being facilitated by local doctors under the banner of Professional Women, Executives and Business Women’s Forum (PROWEB) in Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF).

The screening process started yesterday and, by the time of going to print, over 130 patients had qualified for the surgeries.

PROWEB founding member and trustee, Mrs Florence Ziumbe said: “There is an overwhelming response from the public and we have screened 292 patients with 132 having qualified for surgery.

“A team of six doctors will be arriving tomorrow (today) to perform the operations from the 23rd to the 28th of September 2019 at Chitungwiza Central Hospital and we are targeting 250 patients to undergo the surgeries,”

“It is our intention that this mission be repeated on a yearly basis, with a larger team of doctor’s performing a total of 500 free eye operations, including dispensing glasses, where required.”

The Barraquer Foundation is an offshoot of a top Spanish eye hospital in Barcelona, which has for years undertaken philanthropic eye projects in East Africa.

This is its first mission in Zimbabwe.