Eye cancer on the rise -

By Charles Kakamwa

Medical workers at Jinja Hospital have reported an increase in cases of cancer of the eye.

Phoebe Matende, a principal ophthalmic clinical officer and the officer in charge of the eye clinic at the hospital, said an average of three cases are handled every month.

“This condition was so rare. We would take months or even years without recording one, but it is now becoming very common. So we urge parents and those with children in their care to always look out for its symptoms and seek treatment as early as possible,” she noted.

Matende was speaking to patients at the clinic during a sensitisation and cleaning exercise by members of the Jinja District Association of the Blind (JIDAB).

Matende explained that the most common symptom of the disease, believed to be the result of genetical factors, is a shining of the affected eye in darkness.

“Like other types of cancers, there is no known cure for the one of the eye. What is normally done is to remove the affected eye to save other body parts from being affected. It can affect one or both eyes. It is always advisable to seek early medical attention,” she said.

She said the operations are handled at Mulago Hospital and regional referral hospitals.

During the exercise, JIDAB members, led by their chairman, Muzamiru Musembya and the co-ordinator, Fazira Kawuma, cautioned the blind against self-pity and encouraged them to engage in productive work.

“Some people think being blind is the end of the road. This is wrong because we remain productive members of society like any other,” said Musembya, who is a primary school teacher.