Indonesia-UAE Collaboration Provides Free Cataract Surgery for 500 Residents in Remote Areas

Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates are strengthening cooperation, with a grant of 294,222 Dirhams providing free cataract surgery assistance to 500 residents in remote, frontier, and outer regions (3T) who have difficulty accessing medical facilities. Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono stated in Jakarta on Friday that the collaboration with the Noor Dubai Foundation from the United Arab Emirates represents a concrete step by the government to ensure no citizens lose productive opportunities due to treatable vision impairments. “Through this surgery, we hope the patients can see the world clearly again. This is a simple hope of regaining a better quality of life for our society,” said Deputy Minister Dante. He explained that this partnership is part of an ongoing commitment initiated since 2025. This cooperation, he said, will continue to be developed for various other eye health programmes in the future. Dante also emphasised that strengthening these services is crucial, given national data showing that at least 48 percent of 21 million citizens who underwent health screenings, and 6 percent of them experienced vision impairments requiring further treatment. Regarding the activity, Dante said the surgery is carried out with very meticulous procedures to ensure patient safety through two stages of strict examinations. “Initially, health workers together with cadres in the field screen residents with vision complaints,” he said. Kapuas Regency was selected as one of the main implementation locations due to geographical challenges and limited access for residents to specialist doctors. This social service is centred at Vision Center Kapuas, an eye health facility that has served the community since July 2023. “To date, the assistance programme has successfully reached 200 patients in Central Kalimantan, as well as 150 patients each in West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara, as part of the government’s efforts to achieve the national vision recovery target for all levels of society,” he said.