Technology Empowers Love Across Mountains and Seas: The Guan Song Ophthalmology Alliance’s ‘Journey of Love and Light’ Brings Sight to Cataract Patients in Miao Villages

On 13 May, the ‘Journey of Love and Light’ cataract treatment charity project, jointly launched by the Hong Kong Rising Sun Charitable Foundation, Songtao Miao Autonomous County People’s Hospital and Dongguan Aier Eye Hospital, was officially launched at Songtao Miao Autonomous County People’s Hospital.

Zhong Zhenwei, Head of the Tongren Working Group of the Guangdong-Guizhou Cooperation Task Force and Deputy Secretary-General of the Tongren Municipal Government; Hu Hanting, Member of the Standing Committee of the Songtao Miao Autonomous County Party Committee and Deputy County Magistrate; Luo Yunfeng, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Rising Sun Charitable Foundation; the head of the Songtao Miao Autonomous County Health Bureau; the leadership team of the Songtao Miao Autonomous County People’s Hospital; the medical support team from Dongguan Aier Eye Hospital; as well as representatives of cataract patients, their families and medical staff, all attended to witness this ‘Pact of Light’ that spans mountains and seas.

This edition of the ‘Love and Light Campaign’ focuses on cataract patients from disadvantaged families in Songtao, with plans to provide 300 local residents with a one-stop service comprising free screening, free surgery, post-operative rehabilitation and health follow-ups, enabling them to receive high-standard medical care at no cost without having to leave the county.

As the lead organisation of the Dongguan-Songtao Ophthalmology Alliance and the core technical support provider for this project, Dongguan Aier Eye Hospital has participated throughout the project with a strong sense of responsibility, covering planning, the deployment of specialists, technical guidance and quality control. Working in close collaboration with Songtao Miao Autonomous County People’s Hospital, the hospital is delivering Dongguan’s high-quality ophthalmic resources directly to the doorsteps of the local Miao community.

Since the project was launched in full on 9 May, Dongguan Aier Eye Hospital has swiftly assembled an elite medical team. Led by Deng Jiangwen, Assistant Director and Head of the Glaucoma Department, and Tan Yongchang, Head of the Cataract Department, the team—comprising key personnel such as Consultant Liu Fan, Operating Theatre Nurse Manager Zhang Shasha and Inpatient Nurse Long Minhui—has been stationed in Songtao, working in seamless collaboration with the ophthalmology team at Songtao County People’s Hospital. From pre-operative assessment to surgical procedures and post-operative care, the medical teams from both locations have ensured the safety of every operation through standardised procedures, expert technical skills and rigorous quality control.

During the week-long intensive surgical campaign, the medical teams from Dongguan and Songtao have helped 138 residents of Songtao suffering from eye conditions to regain clear vision, and subsequent batches of patients are proceeding in an orderly manner.

In-depth Collaboration within the Wansong Alliance: Bringing Technology to the Grassroots to Lay a Solid Foundation for the Long Term

Under the guidance and support of the Dongguan Municipal Party Committee, Municipal Government and Municipal Health Bureau, Dongguan Aier Eye Hospital formally established the ‘Dongguan-Songtao Ophthalmology Alliance’ with Songtao Miao Autonomous County People’s Hospital in December 2024. The hospital has consistently used the Guangdong-Guizhou cooperation initiative as a bridge to promote the delivery of high-quality ophthalmic medical resources to grassroots communities, serving the rural revitalisation strategy through concrete actions.

Since the alliance was established, the hospital has dispatched six batches of senior ophthalmology expert teams to Songtao. These teams have worked closely with the County People’s Hospital to conduct outpatient consultations, ward rounds, surgical supervision, professional technical training and guidance on departmental standardised management. They have provided hands-on instruction in cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment techniques and shared face-to-face insights into departmental operational management, striving to enhance the professional capabilities of Songtao’s ophthalmology medical team.

Since 2024, Dongguan Aier has successfully introduced several advanced ophthalmic techniques to Songtao Miao Autonomous County People’s Hospital, including ‘double-hook’ cataract surgery, combined cataract and glaucoma surgery, retinal laser treatment, and vitreous oil injection, thereby filling multiple gaps in local ophthalmic diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. Concurrently, the two hospitals have established a long-term collaborative mechanism for remote consultations and the sharing of medical resources, creating a fast-track for online diagnosis and treatment. This enables the provision of real-time, precise treatment plans for patients with complex and difficult-to-treat eye conditions, thereby truly achieving the mutual sharing and sustained extension of high-quality ophthalmic resources.

This “Love and Light” project represents a significant achievement in the transition of the Guan-Song Ophthalmology Alliance from specialised collaboration to large-scale public welfare treatment. Thanks to solid prior training and collaboration, the ophthalmology team at Songtao County People’s Hospital has demonstrated comprehensive proficiency in pre-operative screening, intra-operative coordination, post-operative care and infection control. The efficient coordination between the teams from both locations ensures the project is carried out to high standards and with high quality.

Mrs Huang, aged 70, and her 77-year-old husband have both suffered from cataracts for many years, but financial difficulties had prevented them from undergoing surgery. Mrs Huang was virtually blind and relied entirely on her husband, whose own eyesight was failing, to care for her. As part of the ‘Love and Light’ initiative, the couple were admitted to hospital through a fast-track process, with all costs covered. On 10 May, Mrs Huang successfully underwent surgery. The moment the bandages were removed, she grasped the medical staff’s hands with emotion: “I can finally see the path clearly again!”

During his ward rounds, Director Deng Jiangwen learnt of Mrs Huang’s family circumstances and presented her with a 500-yuan ‘love envelope’ from his own pocket. He said, ‘Seeing Mrs Huang is like seeing my own mother. As a doctor, being able to use my skills to help her regain her sight is my greatest source of comfort.’

At the project launch ceremony, Mr Yao, a patient representative, said emotionally: ‘ ‘For so many years with cataracts, everything before my eyes was always blurry. I couldn’t make out my family’s smiling faces, and I had to tread carefully even when walking. My life was restricted in every way, and I felt both anxious and distressed. Thanks to all the doctors and specialists who spared no effort to travel thousands of miles to Songtao, bringing their expertise and great compassion to provide us with free examinations and surgery, I can now see the world clearly once more and have regained the hope of living a good life!’

Inscribed on the banners are phrases such as ‘Travelling far to the Miao villages to practise true kindness; serving with utmost sincerity to warm the hearts of the people’ and ‘Caring for the Miao region through acts of kindness; bringing light through selfless love’. These words convey the heartfelt gratitude of the local Miao community and bear witness to the deep bond between the medical staff from Wansong and the people of the Miao villages.

Dongguan Aier Eye Hospital has always remained committed to its mission of “ensuring that everyone, regardless of wealth, has the right to eye health”. It has actively integrated itself into the broader context of Guangdong-Guizhou cooperation and rural revitalisation, fulfilling its responsibilities through charitable initiatives and safeguarding sight through medical expertise. This “Love and Light” cataract treatment charity project represents a heart-warming initiative for the people, deeply integrating Guangdong-Guizhou cooperation, charitable efforts and ophthalmic care. It effectively addresses the urgent and pressing medical challenges faced by the public, restoring clear vision and illuminating a happier life for the people of Songtao.

Moving forward, Dongguan Aier Eye Hospital will continue to use the Dongguan-Songtao Ophthalmology Alliance as a bridge to systematically advance subsequent batches of surgical procedures. We will further deepen collaboration in specialist development, talent cultivation, technology transfer and public welfare services, ensuring that high-quality ophthalmic resources become a permanent fixture in Songtao. We aim to evolve from merely “performing surgeries” to “strengthening departments, nurturing talent and building systems”, thereby contributing Aier’s strength to the high-quality development of Songtao’s eye health sector and to a new chapter in Guangdong-Guizhou cooperation.

Key members of the medical team involved in this initiative:

Deng Jiangwen  Assistant to the Director, Director of the Glaucoma Department, and Associate Chief Physician at Dongguan Aier Eye Hospital

Tan Yongchang  Director of the Cataract Department and Chief Physician at Dongguan Aier Eye Hospital

Liu Fan   Attending Physician, Dongguan Humen Aier Eye Hospital

Zhang Shasha   Head Nurse of the Operating Theatre and Senior Nurse, Dongguan Aier Eye Hospital

Long Minhui   Ward Nurse, Dongguan Aier Eye Hospital