Mattas Returns from Uganda Mission

Dr. Steven Mattas recently returned to Louisville from Kampala, Uganda, after spending the last decade developing and building a mission hospital for ophthalmology. With support from the international aid organization, Christoffel-Blindenmission (CBM, Germany), Dr. Mattas developed Mengo Hospital Eye Unit into the leading provider of eye care in Uganda, gaining recognition throughout East Africa.

In developing Mengo Hospital, Dr. Mattas became the first doctor in Uganda to introduce the concept of quality control by documenting cataract surgery outcomes and training staff to achieve results according to the World Health Organization's standards. He helped develop the staff at Mengo Hospital by organizing training for cataract surgeons, ophthalmic clinical officers and ophthalmic assistants.

His efforts to modernize the care in Uganda went beyond developing a hospital. He facilitated the training of ophthalmology residents of Makerere University and organized cataract surgery-training courses in East Africa. As Chairman of the Ophthalmological Society of East Africa, Dr. Mattas planned an international seminar for ophthalmologists and eye care specialists. He also participated with coordinating the efforts of relief agencies in the prevention and treatment of blindness in Uganda by organizing a network of safari clinics to serve patients in remote areas.

“The goal from the beginning was to develop the eye hospital and the staff so that Ugandan doctors would take over and run the project,” Dr. Mattas said. “The most meaningful development would be a hospital that did not depend on me to continue to work.”

The eye hospital and Dr. Mattas’ duties were successfully transferred to his Ugandan colleagues in the summer of 2001. Dr. Mattas returned to the Kentuckiana area shortly thereafter and today the hospital in Kampala continues to operate successfully under the new medical director.