{"id":298901,"date":"2024-10-09T13:49:09","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T11:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:31:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T13:31:37","slug":"free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/","title":{"rendered":"Free State health department embarks on life-changing cataract surgeries marathon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
An attempt to perform 500 cataract surgeries to improve the vision of patients within in a month in the Free State is going at the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Universitas Academic Hospital\u2019s Ophthalmology Clinic began performing these life-changing surgeries on Tuesday, 1 October, and will continue the marathon until 1 November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These surgeries are a concerted effort to reduce the backlog of patients on the waiting list to have surgeries to remove cataract, which is the leading cause of blindness globally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prof. Wayne Marais, head of the department of ophthalmology, is leading the team ophthalmologists (eye surgeons), to restore eyesight of patients qualifying. He said the plan is to perform at least 30 surgeries a day to reach the target of 500. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSurgeries are free as most of the patients cannot afford the costs at private facilities to perform cataract, which takes just a few minutes and can change a patient\u2019s life. The 30 surgeries a day will equate to 120 a week. Cataract affects any person, irrespective of age,\u201d said Marais. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said because cases of patients differ, the team prioritises surgeries. Marais said the ophthalmologists had embarked on blitz surgeries at facilities at of the provincial Department of Health, to reduce the backlog of patients needing cataract operation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe go quarterly to various facilities in the province for cataract operations,\u201d said Marais.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/figure>
<\/p>\n
The nursing staff at National Hospital with two patients who had successful cataract surgeries. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Matron Wendy Mashifane, operational manager at the Universitas Academic Hospital, said the facility was fully-booked for the 2024 cataract surgery marathon campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFollowing last year\u2019s successful cataract surgery marathon, we are hoping that everything will run smoothly.\u201d said Mashifane. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four patients of the first group who had surgeries performed on Tuesday, attest to immediate impact of surgeries and were overjoyed that they could see again. They are Motshidisi Mphasi (61) from Excelsior, Tlaleng Dipholo (84) from Senekal, Anna Qaka (60) and Madineo Motlokwa (77) from Qwaqwa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m very happy to be able to see again after several years of my struggle with poor vision. I will not be a burden to any person anymore,\u201d said Mphasi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An attempt to perform 500 cataract surgeries to improve the vision of patients within in a month in the Free State is going at the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":298904,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"8f5d7761-392f-48a4-abe5-fc1225c60afd","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Teboho Setena","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[""],"pongrass_image":[""],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-298901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
Free State health department embarks on life-changing cataract surgeries marathon | BloemNews Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Free State health department embarks on life-changing cataract surgeries marathon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An attempt to perform 500 cataract surgeries to improve the vision of patients within in a month in the Free State is going at the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BloemNews Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-10-09T11:49:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T13:31:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a810c509472743d085eaeb62ee4ae77c.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1922\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Teboho Setena\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"BloemNews Express\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"BloemNews Express\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/80d72f2891bdddfdd35ed12cd10a5925\"},\"headline\":\"Free State health department embarks on life-changing cataract surgeries marathon\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-09T11:49:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T13:31:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":359,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/a810c509472743d085eaeb62ee4ae77c.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2024\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/\",\"name\":\"Free State health department embarks on life-changing cataract surgeries marathon | BloemNews Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/a810c509472743d085eaeb62ee4ae77c.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-09T11:49:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T13:31:37+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/a810c509472743d085eaeb62ee4ae77c.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/a810c509472743d085eaeb62ee4ae77c.jpg\",\"width\":1922,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Free State health department embarks on life-changing cataract surgeries marathon\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"BloemNuus\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/bloemnuus\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/bloemnuus\"],\"description\":\"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.\",\"email\":\"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"051-4047600\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/80d72f2891bdddfdd35ed12cd10a5925\",\"name\":\"BloemNews Express\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"BloemNews Express\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/author\\\/bloemexpress\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Free State health department embarks on life-changing cataract surgeries marathon | BloemNews Express","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Free State health department embarks on life-changing cataract surgeries marathon","og_description":"An attempt to perform 500 cataract surgeries to improve the vision of patients within in a month in the Free State is going at the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/","og_site_name":"BloemNews Express","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","article_published_time":"2024-10-09T11:49:09+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-31T13:31:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1922,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a810c509472743d085eaeb62ee4ae77c.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Teboho Setena","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"BloemNews Express","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/"},"author":{"name":"BloemNews Express","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/80d72f2891bdddfdd35ed12cd10a5925"},"headline":"Free State health department embarks on life-changing cataract surgeries marathon","datePublished":"2024-10-09T11:49:09+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T13:31:37+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/"},"wordCount":359,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a810c509472743d085eaeb62ee4ae77c.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2024","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/","name":"Free State health department embarks on life-changing cataract surgeries marathon | BloemNews Express","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a810c509472743d085eaeb62ee4ae77c.jpg","datePublished":"2024-10-09T11:49:09+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T13:31:37+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a810c509472743d085eaeb62ee4ae77c.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a810c509472743d085eaeb62ee4ae77c.jpg","width":1922,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-health-department-embarks-on-life-changing-cataract-surgeries-marathon-20241003\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Free State health department embarks on life-changing cataract surgeries marathon"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","name":"BloemNuus","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization","name":"BloemNuus","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"BloemNuus"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bloemnuus"],"description":"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.","email":"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"051-4047600","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/80d72f2891bdddfdd35ed12cd10a5925","name":"BloemNews Express","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"BloemNews Express"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/author\/bloemexpress\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a810c509472743d085eaeb62ee4ae77c.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":298845,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/record-number-of-surgeries-performed-to-restore-patients-eyesight-20241028\/","url_meta":{"origin":298901,"position":0},"title":"Record number of surgeries performed to restore patients\u2019 eyesight","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"28 October 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The ongoing effort to perform 500 cataract surgeries within a month to improve the vision of patients in the Free State, is still on track. The team of the Universitas Academic Hospital\u2019s Ophthalmology Clinic has successfully performed 368 surgeries","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a4b36d64c8a9432f87ea26110c1c5517.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a4b36d64c8a9432f87ea26110c1c5517.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a4b36d64c8a9432f87ea26110c1c5517.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a4b36d64c8a9432f87ea26110c1c5517.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":304264,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/cataract-surgeries-significantly-reduced-backlog-of-patients-on-waiting-list\/","url_meta":{"origin":298901,"position":1},"title":"Cataract surgeries significantly reduced backlog of patients on waiting list","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"7 August 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Successful cataract surgeries culminated in restoring vision of 128 patients.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Patients-who-successfully-had-life-changing-eye-surgeries-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Patients-who-successfully-had-life-changing-eye-surgeries-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Patients-who-successfully-had-life-changing-eye-surgeries-.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Patients-who-successfully-had-life-changing-eye-surgeries-.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Patients-who-successfully-had-life-changing-eye-surgeries-.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Patients-who-successfully-had-life-changing-eye-surgeries-.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":302066,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/endeavours-to-restore-eyesight-20221122\/","url_meta":{"origin":298901,"position":2},"title":"Endeavours to restore eyesight","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"22 November 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Free State Department of Health has completed life-changing cataract surgeries to restore the eyesight of approximately 98 patients. These surgeries are a concerted effort by the department to reduce the number of patients on the waiting list for","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0e844819bc344a02a34c4592d0c950af.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0e844819bc344a02a34c4592d0c950af.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0e844819bc344a02a34c4592d0c950af.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0e844819bc344a02a34c4592d0c950af.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42402,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/500-patients-see-the-light-after-surgery-20241014\/","url_meta":{"origin":298901,"position":3},"title":"500 patients see the light after surgery","author":"BloemNews","date":"14 October 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Free State Department of Health has committed to performing cataract surgeries on approximately 500 patients from October 1 to November 1. It is expected that 30 surgeries will be conducted each day.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7c9ccf4260914d468fc8c15e02791f45.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7c9ccf4260914d468fc8c15e02791f45.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7c9ccf4260914d468fc8c15e02791f45.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7c9ccf4260914d468fc8c15e02791f45.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7c9ccf4260914d468fc8c15e02791f45.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7c9ccf4260914d468fc8c15e02791f45.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":300515,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/medical-backlog-eased-20231121\/","url_meta":{"origin":298901,"position":4},"title":"Medical backlog eased","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"21 November 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Free State Department of Health is still faced with a backlog of orthopaedic surgeries. Currently the provincial backlog stands at 976, from 1 923 during July and August last year.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4655ba3365394a249c06865553777a6a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4655ba3365394a249c06865553777a6a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4655ba3365394a249c06865553777a6a.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4655ba3365394a249c06865553777a6a.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":301975,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-prioritises-emergency-surgeries-20221209\/","url_meta":{"origin":298901,"position":5},"title":"Free State prioritises emergency surgeries","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"9 December 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Following Eskom\u2019s implementation of Stage 6 loadshedding, only emergency surgeries will be performed at designated Free State hospitals.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/8f187dcff5f249daa0b3a091b10c6068.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/8f187dcff5f249daa0b3a091b10c6068.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/8f187dcff5f249daa0b3a091b10c6068.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/8f187dcff5f249daa0b3a091b10c6068.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"BloemNews Express","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298901"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":298903,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298901\/revisions\/298903"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/298904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298901"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=298901"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=298901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Surgery](\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/dedcff9f12d94da1a05e17f039fa316b.jpg\")
<\/figure>