Barriers related to the provision of cataract surgery and care in Limpopo province, South Africa: Professional ophthalmic service providers’ perspective

Background: Cataract has been reported to be the leading single cause of visual impairment and blindness. However, uptake of cataract services is very low in rural areas though these services are available for free. This study, therefore, sought to explore barriers related to the low uptake of these services through engaging health service providers. Methods: This study used a qualitative design to explore barriers related to the uptake of cataract surgery and care from professional nurses’ perspective in Vhembe District of Limpopo province, South Africa. The target population comprised of 20 ophthalmic service providers. Of these 20 in Limpopo Province, 15 were general nurses involved in eye health service provision, 3 registered ophthalmic nurses and 2 registered eye specialists. Three Focus Group Discussions were held with 8, 6 and 6 participants respectively. Data was collected through the use of a digital tape recorder, transcribed and then thematically analyzed. Results: The majority of the respondents were aged between 56 and 60 years and females constituted 80% of the respondents. In terms of experience in working in the field of ophthalmology, most of the respondents had between 1 and 10 years of experience. Reported barriers related to the provision of cataract services by patients were: Lack of provision of comprehensive awareness programs; Failure to tailor-make cataract programs that overcome cultural myths; Unavailability of cataract services at the grass-root level; Shortage of ophthalmologist and supportive ophthalmic health professionals; and inadequate cataract facilities and resources. Conclusion: There is a need for the development of comprehensive awareness campaigns and the integration of traditional health systems and the modern system to overcome myths associated with cataracts. There is a need for investment in the ophthalmic services and ensure that the service is decentralized to health facilities in the communities so as to increase coverage. More health service providers are to be trained to ensure that they are able to provide this service at the grass-root level. This would, in turn, reduce the waiting times and ensure efficient and effective ophthalmic services.