Malang (November 23, 2023) - Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini asked parents to be aware that their children's vision started to become unclear. In several cases, some children are affected by cataracts so they must be treated immediately so that they do not get worse. If treated late, cataracts in children can cause blindness or visual disability.

"Cataracts are not only among the elderly but can also affect children, especially due to genetic factors," said Social Affairs Minister Risma when reviewing the implementation of free cataract surgery at Panti Nirmala Hospital in Malang City and Kanjuruhan Hospital in Malang Regency.

At Panti Nirmala Hospital, the surgery was performed on 75 patients who passed the screening, while the surgery at Kanjuruhan Regional Hospital in the first stage was also performed on 75 patients out of 155 people who passed the screening. The operation was carried out in stages according to the capacity of the hospital.

According to Social Minister Risma, in tropical areas with abundant sunlight exposure, cataracts usually afflict older people due to various factors such as age, diabetes, genetics, and other causes.

However, in some cases, cataracts can also affect children due to several factors, especially from their parents. "Therefore, if the child complains that his vision is getting unclear, immediately check with the doctor so that it can be treated immediately," said the Minister.

The implementation of free cataract surgery at Kanjuruhan Hospital was also attended by the deputy chairman of the MPR RI Ahmad Basarah. This review is related to the duties of the DPR to supervise the performance of the Ministry of Social Affairs.

"The community needs the assistance of the Ministry of Social Affairs to get cataract surgery services. Alhamdulillah, due to the help of various parties, we can jointly carry out cataract surgery for the community," said Ahmad Basarah.

Ahmad Basarah hopes that the free cataract surgery performed on 157 patients can overcome the cataract problem faced by the community so that people who have undergone surgery can recover their vision and work more productively.