Angel of mercy who lets the blind see again
Ophthalmologist has devoted herself to do cataract surgery at a state hospital
Benoni resident Khukhuza Mdhluli, 92, believed he would die blind, just as his mother did in 1989.
But today Mdhluli says he feels like a youngster again after he had cataracts removed from both eyes. “It is like my age has changed from 92 to 29,” the sprightly pensioner told the Sunday Times.
He is one of Hungarian ophthalmologist Dr Agnes Risko-Kenyeres’s most recent patients. Over the past three decades, RiskoKenyeres, 73, has helped thousands of patients to see again, many of them indigent.
Based at the Tambo Memorial Hospital in Boksburg, she treats patients from as far afield as Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Mozambique and even Tanzania. In January alone, she saw 748 patients and did 42 surgeries. Last October, to mark World Sight Month, RiskoKenyeres did 72 surgeries.
“It is my passion. Restoring sight to a person is the most fulfilling experience. When patients regain their sight, you will not believe the expression on their faces. It is something special. They hug you, they kiss you ... It is an amazing feeling,” she said.
Although the procedure is generally quick and simple — 10 minutes under local anaesthetic — many local residents are wary. Mdhluli was one of them.
“For years my GP used to keep on telling me to go to surgery, but I just did not go. Every time I talked about going to Tambo Memorial Hospital people in my community would scare me and say if I go to the hospital I will never regain my sight.
“But I later decided to stop listening to people and gave it a try. Halleluya! Today I can see. I can read writing that is 2m away. It is unbelievable,” Mdhluli said.
He feared he had inherited a condition from his mother, Anna Ngwenya, who died in 1989 at the age of 89 having lost her sight when she was 57.
Living blind was difficult for Mdhluli because he lives alone in his home in Wattville, Benoni.
“I really could not see. Everything in my sight was misty. The most difficult thing was doing my laundry. I could wash but I could not iron my clothes. I had to ask a lady to come once a week to help me. I also could not cook properly because I was living in the dark.”
He said that even with decades of experience in the use of traditional herbs, he could not improve his sight. He first went to see Risko-Kenyeres in January, and in February he had the surgery.
“When they removed the cotton wool on my eye, it was like a dream. I actually asked to go outside and see trees and the flowers. When I saw everything, I knew that I had gained my sight.”
After a second procedure on his other eye, Mdhluli returned to Tambo Memorial Hospital to thank Risko-Kenyeres. A photo of him, in his prized three-piece pink suit, and the doctor is now displayed proudly on his living-room wall.
Risko-Kenyeres has been helping people regain their sight since 1991 when she came to South Africa. She has been based at Tambo Memorial since then and says she is passionate about helping poor people regain their sight.
Risko-Kenyeres said half the eyesight difficulties people complain of are due to cataracts, cloudy areas that develop in the lens of the eye. The surgery involves removing the natural lens and replacing it with a plastic one.
“On Saturdays, I do people who have become completely blind. It is so fascinating that the people who were blind can see. I use local anaesthetics and the procedure takes about 10 minutes. But those with conditions like epilepsy use general anaesthetics which makes the operation much longer,” RiskoKenyeres said.
“I do 50 surgeries a month, which is enough because there are other hospitals such as Thelle Mogoerane, Pholosong and Tembisa that help to reduce the load. In that way, I don’t have a waiting list. If I see you today [March], your surgery will be in June. Obviously if ... the patient cannot see at all, I try to do it earlier. This Saturday, I have 11 surgeries to do,” she said.
She said having a similar surgery in a private hospital could cost about R50,000. But at Tambo Memorial it is free.
Risko-Kenyeres said her job was fulfilling as she has always loved working with her hands.
“As a young girl I used to paint. I also do photography. I wanted to be a doctor but I was not going to be a pathologist dealing with dead people. I wanted to do something very useful.”
Risko-Kenyeres has learnt to speak isiZulu and other local languages as she treats mostly people from the townships. She says she has declined several offers from the private sector because she loves her job.
“This is where the need is. I have to be here.”