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Cataract surgery for patients from Vengurla: from the fishing coast to Vasco

Vengurla (Vengurle) lives by the sea and its orchards: fishing boats at the harbour, cashew and mango gardens inland, and villages such as Mochemad, Shiroda, Redi, Ubhadanda and Aravali along the coast. ReNew Vision Eye Hospital is in Vasco, Goa, not in Vengurla: 2nd floor, Pai Hospital building, Vaddem Merces Road, Vaddem, Vasco da Gama. This page explains how cataract surgery (motibindu in Marathi and Malvani) can be planned from Vengurla, and what fishermen in particular need to know.

The road from Vengurla

OpenStreetMap routing gives about 88 km. The coastal highway runs south through Mochemad to Shiroda, then turns inland through Ajgaon and Malewad to Satarda and the Goa border near Pernem. From there NH 66 runs through Dhargal and Mapusa, Porvorim and Panjim, past Bambolim and over the new Zuari bridge to Cortalim, where the Vasco road (NH 366) leads through Zuarinagar and Chicalim into Vasco. The tool shows under an hour and a half on empty roads; in practice allow two to two and a half hours each way.

By train or bus

• Train: Kudal and Sawantwadi Road, on the Konkan Railway, are the nearest stations. Trains run south to Madgaon, about 27 km by road from Vasco.
• Bus: ST buses run from Vengurla to Sawantwadi, where buses leave for Mapusa and Panjim; from Panjim, KTC shuttles go to Vasco, whose bus stand is about 1 km from the hospital. With three legs, this is a very long day for an elderly patient.
• Pickup: we can collect you from your home and drop you back, at zero cost to the patient. Ask for it when you call 072489 88039.

Planning the visits

1. Call first, and say you are coming from Vengurla. Ask whether the check-up, the counselling and the lens-power test can be done on the same visit.
2. Surgery day: a few hours at the hospital, with an adult staying throughout.
3. First check: usually the next day or soon after. From Vengurla, it usually makes sense to stay the night in Goa, with relatives or in a hotel, and travel home after the first check.
4. Follow-ups over the next weeks: ask for all the dates at the start and write them on one sheet.

The operation itself is explained on cataract surgery at ReNew Vision.

Back to the boat: what fishermen should know

A lifetime in sun and sea glare is one of the things that brings cataract earlier, and fishermen often come with a cataract that has made the water a blur of glare. After surgery, the eye needs a few weeks of care before going back to sea:

• keep sea water, spray and fish scales out of the operated eye; no swimming or diving until the surgeon allows it;
• hauling nets, lifting boxes of catch and pushing boats are heavy work; wait until the surgeon clears it;
• bright light may feel harsh in the operated eye at first; wear the dark glasses, and afterwards good UV400 sunglasses for life;
• do not rub the eye with salty or fishy hands; wash hands with clean water and soap first.

The general precautions are in care after cataract surgery. If possible, plan surgery for the monsoon fishing ban, when the boats are ashore anyway.

What to bring

• the patient's spectacles, old eye reports and every medicine strip, including blood thinners
• recent sugar and BP reports
• food, water, sunglasses and clothes for a night in Goa

Hours and emergencies

The Eye OPD runs Monday to Saturday, 4 pm to 7 pm, Friday included; Sunday OPD is closed. From Vengurla, leave by about 1:30 pm. Emergency eye care is available 24 hours, but for a severe injury, go to the nearest hospital first. See coming from another town.

Questions patients ask

How long does it take from Vengurla to ReNew Vision?

About two to two and a half hours by car for roughly 88 km, by the coastal road to Shiroda and Satarda, then NH 66 through Pernem, Mapusa and Panjim.

When can a fisherman go back to sea after cataract surgery?

Not until the surgeon clears it, usually after some weeks. Until then keep sea water and spray out of the eye and avoid heavy lifting. The surgeon checks the eye at each follow-up.

Should we stay in Goa after the operation?

From Vengurla it usually makes sense. The first check is usually the next day or soon after, so staying the night in Goa saves a second long journey.

Is there a train from Vengurla towards Vasco?

Take a Konkan Railway train from Kudal or Sawantwadi Road to Madgaon, then a bus or taxi about 27 km to Vasco. For an elderly patient, our home pickup is easier.

Is there a ReNew Vision clinic in Vengurla?

No. ReNew Vision Eye Hospital is only in Vaddem, Vasco da Gama, Goa. We can collect you from your home and drop you back, at zero cost to the patient.

This page is general eye-health information, not personal medical advice. Your eye doctor advises you after examining your eyes.