A group of Chinese doctors is expected in Zimbabwe next week to perform cataract operations on at least 300 patients in the Southern African country, Chinese Aambassador to Zimbabwe Xin Shunkang said Friday.

The ambassador told journalists at a media briefing that the visit dubbed "Brightness Trip" will be the first by the group in Zimbabwe and Africa.

"I am sure the 300 people with this eye disease will be able to see once again after the operations," Ambassador Xin said.

He hoped the trip will open avenues for further medical cooperation between the two countries.

Dr Han Demin, the director of Beijing Tongren Hospital will lead the Chinese group of doctors set to arrive in the country on Nov. 19 and leave after about a week.

Ambassador Xin said from Zimbabwe the group will proceed to Malawi to perform a similar task.

He noted that blindness due to cataracts was a huge health problem in China where approximately more than 5 million people are blind and account for 18 percent of global blind people.

"So this problem is not only for Zimbabwe to solve but is also a heavy task for the Chinese government," he said.

Eye specialist at Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital Boniface Macheka said the Chinese doctors will work in partnership with Zimbabwe's eye specialists to carry out the operations on patients who will be drawn mostly from rural areas.

The operations will be done at Chitungwiza General Hospital about 30 kilometers south east of Harare.

"We have made arrangements to start screening patients and most of them will come from Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital and others," he said.

Sekeuru Kaguvi is located in Harare and is the country's biggest eye referral hospital.

According to Macheka, there are at least 100,000 people suffering from cataracts in Zimbabwe, most of who fail to access treatment due to prohibitive costs.

A cataract operation costs between US$800 and US$1,500 in Zimbabwe.

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2010)