HUNDREDS of people gathered yesterday at the Community Hospital of Seventh-day Adventists in Cocorite as members of the public sought access to free cataract and pterygium surgeries being offered through a partnership with international humanitarian organisation Hands International.

The large turnout resulted in long lines and crowd management challenges at the hospital compound, with police officers eventually being called in to assist staff in maintaining order. Senior officers attached to the Western Division confirmed that police responded to the hospital on Sunday morning following reports of overcrowding at the facility. Officers said the situation was eventually brought under control and there were no major incidents reported.

The free surgical programme, which began on May 14 and is expected to continue until May 26, aimed to provide 2,000 cataract and pterygium surgeries to eligible patients across Trinidad and Tobago. Pterygium, commonly called 'surfer's eye' is a benign, fleshy, wedge-shaped growth of the clear membrane covering the white part of an eye. It is commonly caused by prolobged exposure to ultraviolet light, wind and dust.