On October 8, World Sight Day, the sixth edition of the Glaucotuna project held its third workshop of the year, with a focus on collaboration and mutual support.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- Pablo Velásquez Molina, 69, is a glaucoma patient. He discovered it by chance. He was accompanying his wife, who uses a wheelchair, to her regular checkups at the hospital. On one occasion, their daughter went with them. During the appointment, the doctor examined Pablo’s wife and even his daughter, and then asked him why he didn’t get checked as well.
“At first I resisted; I said I didn’t have any problems, but my daughter and my wife insisted,” Pablo recounts.
After the exam, the doctor diagnosed him with early-stage glaucoma. Pablo was startled, as he had never had any vision problems before. However, he began treatment immediately: every night he applies his eye drops, and every morning he takes a folic acid tablet and a multivitamin.
“I’ve never missed a dose,” he says. Thanks to that discipline, checkups have shown that the disease hasn’t progressed.
Pablo emphasizes that it was important to catch it early, and he attributes this to a stroke of luck and the doctor’s suggestion. At first, he noticed some difficulty seeing at night and slightly blurry vision, but with treatment, his condition has remained stable. He currently watches TV and reads normally.
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On the morning of this second Thursday in October, glaucoma patients like Pablo and members of the National Association of the Blind (ANCI in Spanish) who had lost their vision due to the disease gathered in Las Tunas. The goal was clear: to create a space where they could share experiences and support one another.
Dr. Noraidi Suárez Esteves, who holds a master’s degree in science and serves as the project leader, explained the purpose of the gathering. “We want to launch the Glaucoma Patients’ Association in Las Tunas because creating a space for them to come together allows them to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and even facilitate access to medications,” the doctor noted.
The workshop was not just a time to discuss the disease. It was also an opportunity for patients to listen to one another and talk about their daily lives and the challenges they face in these times of scarcity.
“We want to establish a space for discussion and collaboration so that they can empower themselves and manage the disease with knowledge and responsibility,” stated Suárez Esteves.
The initiative arose due to the absence in Cuba of an association of this kind, despite the existence of the World Glaucoma Patient Association.
The event combined cultural activities with health education. It featured riddles, personalized poems —created with the help of artificial intelligence— and discussion sessions.
GLAUCOTUNA: A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO HEALTH PROMOTION
The project holds three workshops a year. The first coincides with World Glaucoma Week in March, the second takes place on May 21, and the third, like today’s event, is held on the second Thursday of October.
“We realized that here in Las Tunas, health education and promotion activities were insufficient. We needed to establish a systematic approach,” said Suárez Esteves.
With this sixth edition, "Glaucotuna" has consolidated its presence in the province and paved the way for glaucoma patients to find in the unit a resource to help them cope with this condition.
