POLICE OFFICERS from the St James and Four Roads police stations and traffic wardens ensured that there was little to no traffic caused by the hundreds who visited the Community Hospital of Seventh-day Adventists, Cocorite, for free eye surgery yesterday.

Yesterday was day six of the programme which is being carried out by global medical non-profit organisation Hands International. A total of 1,600 mostly older men and women have had free eye surgeries for cataracts and pterygium since the programme launched on May 14. The organisers are aiming for 4,000 of these surgeries and, according to beneficiaries of the programme, the procedure lasts between three and four minutes.

The programme's project manager, Samuel Sankar, explained yesterday that he met with senior officers from the St James and Four Roads police stations and they assured their support. He added that this support was reflected that morning with just above-average traffic leading into the Lady Hochoy Circular Road from off the Western Main Road out of Diego Martin.