Local doctor travels to Guatemala to give free eye surgeries

Posted: Mar 5, 2010 8:31 PM by Courtney Meznarich
Updated: Mar 5, 2010 8:31 PM

A local doctor sets off on a sightseeing adventure.
It's not the first time Dr. Rupert Chowins has visited Guatemala. The San Luis Obispo Pacific Eye Care expert is making his fourth trip to perform cataract surgeries free of charge.

He and and a group of doctors from "Hospital de la Familia," will see as many as 1,000 patients over ten days.
" I get more excited every time I go because it's fascinating and it's wonderful and it's an incredible opportunity to do something different that you wouldn't normally do," Chowins says.

Chowins says the people in Guatamala have very little access to health care. He calls the experience "pure," saying there is no paperwork to fill out and patients can be in and out in under an hour. One procedure only costs around 30-dollars to perform.

If you would like to help "Hospital de la Familia," you can visit their website here.

Topics: doctor, eye, cataracts, guatemala, surgery, KSBY News

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