50 elderly Hongkongers get free cataract operations from private hospitals in charity scheme
About 50 needy elderly residents have undergone free cataract surgery offered by a private hospital group since it began a charity cataract programme in July.
The scheme, conducted by the Adventist Hospital Foundation, seeks to provide a total of 200 free cataract operations for residents aged 65 or above so they can avoid the long queues encountered at public hospitals.
It was launched after a Taiwanese study, published last year, found patients who had surgery were 23 per cent less likely to develop dementia.
Applicants must be recipients of comprehensive social security assistance or be eligible for the Old Age Living Allowance - meaning their total assets do not exceed HK$210,000 for a single person or HK$318,000 for a married couple.
The plan aimed to "shorten their waiting time and help them restore vision sooner", Jo Soo-tang, chairwoman of the foundation's board of governors, said.
Successful applicants can start treatment within one to two weeks of application, but patients at public hospitals wait eight to 22 months, depending on their districts.