{"id":28361,"date":"2025-04-24T12:01:13","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T12:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ullsdelmon.org\/?post_type=entrevistes&p=28361"},"modified":"2025-11-27T12:01:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T12:01:49","slug":"hermenegilda-anussa-ophthalmology-resident-physician","status":"publish","type":"entrevistes","link":"https:\/\/www.ullsdelmon.org\/en\/interviews\/hermenegilda-anussa-ophthalmology-resident-physician\/","title":{"rendered":"Hermenegilda Anussa, ophthalmology resident physician"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Anussa, originally from Maputo, Mozambique, has dedicated her life to medicine. She started her studies at the University of Mondlane Medical School in 2007 and, after graduating in 2013, she started working as a doctor at the Geral Hospital in Mavalane. It was during these years that she discovered her true vocation: ophthalmology.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to the support of eyes of the world, today Dr. Anussa is in Spain, doing an internship at the Sant Joan de D\u00e9u Hospital, where she continues to train in this speciality that she is so passionate about.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this interview, she explains her professional journey, the challenges she has faced in Mozambique, and how her experience, working in an environment with limited resources, has motivated her to continue growing and learning every day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her testimony is a clear example of how the Foundation’s intervention model, based on training, prevention and integrated care in public health systems, achieves sustainable and transformative results. Thank you, Hermenegilda, because with committed professionals like you, we are moving towards a world where the right to vision is effective.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What inspired you to specialise in ophthalmology and fight to improve the vision of people in your community?<\/span><\/h5>\n

Since I finished my degree, I went through different stages that created my professional path. During my fifth year of medical school, I took a course in ophthalmology, which combined theory and practice. It was at that time that I had my first contact with this speciality, attending consultations and closely observing the evolution of patients. However, what really marked a before and after was witnessing cataract surgery with surgical microscopy for the first time. I was amazed to see how, thanks to such a precise procedure, a patient could recover his vision the next day. This experience made me realise the real impact of ophthalmology and sparked my interest to specialise in this area.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I chose ophthalmology because, in addition to being an exciting discipline, there is a great need for specialists in Mozambique.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eye health in Mozambique faces many shortcomings. I saw the opportunity to contribute my grain of salt in an area in need.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We know that avoidable blindness is a major concern in Mozambique. Is there a personal story that has marked you and made you want to change the reality of many people in your country?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

During my time in the emergency department of the Geral de <\/span>Mavalane<\/span> Hospital, I saw many patients, which gave me a first-hand understanding of the difficulties faced by those who do not have access to <\/span>timely<\/span> medical care. It was an intense and challenging job, but every life I saved reaffirmed to me the importance of improving the health system. Later, in neonatology, I worked with newborns and their families, which made me even more aware of the vulnerability of many people. These experiences awakened in me the desire to transform the reality of those suffering from preventable diseases, such as blindness, and motivated me to seek solutions that can change the lives of many people in Mozambique.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your experience at Sant Joan de <\/span>D\u00e9u<\/span> is giving<\/span> you <\/span>a different perspective<\/span>. What struck you most about the technology or methods you have seen <\/span>here<\/span> and which ones do you think could be applied in Mozambique?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

At Sant Joan de D\u00e9u Hospital, I work with children. This hospital has a completely different reality from Mozambique. Here, everything works excellently. The care that the professionals provide to the infants is very human and warm, and the access to technology is impressive. In addition, the medicine is evidence-based, with numerous scientific studies to support the practices. I have seen many devices and equipment that are not available in Mozambique, where even some of the devices we have are not working properly. Here, access to medicines and diagnostic tools for eye problems is very comprehensive.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is surprising me the most is the data management system. In Mozambique, each patient has a physical notebook with his or her clinical history, and if it gets lost, all the information is lost. Here, however, everything is computerised and archived, which facilitates a much more efficient follow-up of patients.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another thing that also pleasantly surprises me is that fathers accompany their children to the doctor, unlike in Mozambique, where it is usually the mother who does so.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The health infrastructure in Mozambique faces many issues. What are the main challenges faced by local doctors like you in rural and remote areas?<\/h5>\n

One of the main challenges we face is the high patient demand and lack of human resources. There are many people with eye health problems, and we see 30 to 50 patients per day on average.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, the shortage of surgical material is another critical factor. We often lack the necessary instruments to perform surgeries in minimally acceptable conditions, which affects the outcome of the procedures. For us, it is essential to obtain good results in every surgery, so this lack of resources is a constant challenge.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another challenge we face is the cancellations of surgeries due to urgent cases in other areas. In rural areas, the situation is even more complex, as there are few eye care professionals, making it even more difficult for people to access proper care.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What differences do you find between daily life in Mozambique and Spain?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

I live in Maputo and the difference with Spain is rermarkable, especially in terms of transport. There, access is limited and the distances patients have to travel to receive care are very long. In rural areas, many people rely on walking or cycling to reach health centres, crossing precarious bridges.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the city, public transport is scarce, resulting in long waits, and many rural areas do not have access to public transport. This means that many people, either because of the cost or the waiting time, choose not to attend consultations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Access to water is a major challenge, especially in rural and peri-urban areas. Many people do not have access to clean water on a regular basis, making proper hygiene difficult. This lack of access contributes to the spread of eye infections, as insufficient cleaning of eyes and hands increases the risk of preventable diseases and complications.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you have any future projects in mind that combine your knowledge of ophthalmology and your passion for your country?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

Yes, one of the things I would like to implement is a timetable for seeing patients, that is, assigning a specific schedule to each patient. One of the most common problems there is that a lot of patients pile up because there is no organised schedule. Although we don’t have a computerised system for this, I want to pilot it to see if it’s really feasible.<\/p>\n

I would also like to make people aware of the importance of looking after their eyesight. Often, when they feel symptoms, they start treating themselves with home remedies such as herbs, and only when the problem gets worse do they decide to go to the hospital. Ideally, they should see a doctor at the first sign of symptoms.<\/p>\n

My wish is to continue learning and to be able to bring this new knowledge back to Mozambique to improve the quality of life of those who need it most, to give them back not only their sight, but also their hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":28347,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-28361","entrevistes","type-entrevistes","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHermenegilda Anussa, ophthalmology resident physician - Eyes of the world<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ullsdelmon.org\/en\/interviews\/hermenegilda-anussa-ophthalmology-resident-physician\/\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ullsdelmon.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/hermenegilda-anussa-ophthalmology-resident-physician\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ullsdelmon.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/hermenegilda-anussa-ophthalmology-resident-physician\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hermenegilda Anussa, ophthalmology resident physician - 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