GENERAL INFORMATION

Introduction
The Ophthalmology Department of the Port Elizabeth Hospital Complex has over the past number of years experienced rapid expansion in its capability to provide quality care to the citizens of the Nelson Mandela Metropole and surrounds. We are primarily a service delivery unit, but have recently been accredited to provide 2 of the 4 years of registrar training towards Fellowship of the College of Ophthalmologists of South Africa.

Facilities
Based at Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital, the Ophthalmology out-patients clinic is comprised of 4 examination rooms, a procedure room and 3 special investigation rooms.

Our diagnostic capabilities include the following:
Keratometry + A-scan biometry
B-scan ultrasonography
Automated perimetry
Pachymetry
Fluorescein angiography

Side-room procedures performed at the Eye Clinic include:
Nd-YAG laser procedures
Argon laser procedures

Surgery
Ophthalmic surgery procedures across all sub-specialties of Ophthalmology (excluding laser refractive surgery) are undertaken at PE Provincial Hospital. Cataract surgery is a priority and we are part of the world-wide drive to erradicate cataract blindness by the year 2020.

During the April 2007 - March 2008 financial year the following surgeries were performed at our centre:




We are proud of our outreach programme, which aims to provide eye care (with an emphasis on cataract surgery) to patients in rural areas surrounding Port Elizabeth. During the 2007-2008 financial year 216 cataract operations were performed on our outreach tours. Our outreach work is currently focused on the following towns: Grahamstown, Humansdorp, Somerset-East and Graaff-Reinet.