Gift Ngalwe from Congo Shares her Aunt’s Life-Changing Decision to Have Cataract Surgery in India - In a Discussion with the Team Vaidam

With an inquisitive mind, hunger for learning and a lively spirit, Clementine Ngalwe had always found great joy in the small things in life, especially after retiring at the age of 60. From reading up to four library books a week, growing vegetables in her garden, teaching young girls how to stitch and being part of the church choir; Clementine’s life is filled with a wide range of interests that she is deeply passionate about. Now at the age of 65, Clementine’s eyesight was starting to deteriorate due to cataracts, which was having a profound impact on her life and on the little things she used to take for granted.

During her visit to the Vaidam office we spoke to Gift Ngalwe, Clementine’s niece about her journey to India and why it was so important for them get her treatment right.

When did your family start looking for treatment options outside Congo?

On the face of it, my aunt Clemetine had 20/20+ visual acuity without glasses. But cataracts were developing in both of her eyes, with the right eye much worse than the left. In the exam chair, she still could see the 20 / 20 to 20 / 25 line on the eye chart without much problem. In other words — she supposedly could see "just fine." However, she constantly complained of blurred vision, this is when we decided to seek a second opinion outside our country to be sure and started looking for best cataract surgery doctor in India.

The entire process took us about 6 months to decide because initially, we weren’t sure – however, after speaking to Ms Tamanna Kalra from Vaidam, we just knew that we were in good hands and my aunts Clementine and Chantal and I decided to make our way to India.  

How was your treatment in India?

The cataract surgery went well. Dr. Sudipto Pakarasi and his team at Medanta – the Medicity were wonderful and extremely professional. Dr. Pakarasi suggested that she undergo cataract surgery along with an artificial intraocular lens implant. His diagnosis was precisely what we wanted to hear, as we had suspected this all along. I would also like to add that Medanta is an excellent hospital with very advanced infrastructure and we were very pleased with the overall experience.

How did Vaidam assist you on your medical trip to find the best cataract surgery Hospital in India?

Right from the time I first contacted the team till the last day of this medical journey in India, Vaidam has consistently been there for our family. We were so delighted with the service that my other aunt - Chatal also decided to take help of Vaidam in due course. 

During the three weeks stay, the team solved each of our queries with sincere diligence, provided multiple choices for hospitals and doctors, guided us in the application of visa, and even arranged a special stay for us which was conveniently situated near the hospital. We literally couldn’t ask for more and are grateful for the constant support.