Celebrating 100th anniversary of CPC | China-aided medical team brings light to cataract patients in Eritrea

In December 2019, the Chinese government dispatched a medical team composed of seven ophthalmologists and three assistants to Eritrea on a 21-day pro bono project called Brightness Action. This was the second time since 2015 that China has sent experts to Eritrea for medical aid.

The news was well received by cataract patients who came from all over the country, hoping to get rid of their long-lasting darkness with the help of the Chinese team. The team treated 1,250 patients with eye diseases and performed 508 cataract surgeries during their stay. Many of these patients had their sight restored.

There was one family of four, including a little girl, who suffered from cataracts. With the help of the Chinese doctors, they got their eyesight back. The patients said the Chinese doctors not only cured their eyes, but also brought light and hope to the Eritrean people. Health Minister of Eritrea Amna Nurhusein said the Brightness Action project was known to everybody in Eritrea, and the Eritrean people are truly indebted to the "envoys of light" from China.