|
The Rotary Club of Madras, RI District 3230, is sending a team of specialists led by Dr N V Arulmozhi Varman, to perform around 900 free cataract surgeries in Ghana, Africa. This is in association with the Ghana Health Ministry and Rotary Club of Accra – West.
This is the third successive year that a team of eye surgeons and paramedics will in 14 days complete the 900 cataract surgeries. The surgeons are carrying their own instruments/accessories. In the last two years, 1,392 cataract surgeries were performed. The delegation of five surgeons and four paramedics left Chennai on March 18, 2007.
V K Subburaj, Health Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu, said, “Tamil Nadu is in the forefront of tackling eye problems, particularly cataract. Massive camps have been organised in the districts to prevent and treat eye diseases.”
Tamil Nadu could today boast of being one of the best eye care centres in the world, he said adding that the invitation from the Ministry of Health, Ghana and the Rotarians from there, was an acknowledgement of the expertise and experience the eye surgeons in Tamil Nadu had.
Subburaj said, “Rotary had played an important role in eradication of polio in India and today there are only a few cases in North India which are being effectively handled by the government.”
The government would assist Rotary’s community service initiatives like eye care, tsunami rehabilitation, control of malaria.
Ravi Katari, president, Rotary Club of Madras, said the total cost of this project was around Rs 15 lakh out of which Rs 5 lakh was funded by Rotary Club of Madras Charitable Trust.
Air passages costing Rs 5 lakh for the team will be funded by Rotary Club of Accra West. Hotel accommodation, food, local conveyance costing Rs 5 lakh will be met by the Ghana Health Ministry. Past president M C Shanker, (who conceived this project together with Alok Bhargava) has been invited to Accra with the group of doctors, where he will be thanked by the local authorities for having organised the service.
M C Shanker, chairman, International Cooperation in Health, said Dr Arulmozhi Varman took the initiative to organise the team from Erode which is well-versed in conducting such eye camps. Dr V Panneerselvam, eye surgeon, director, Arasan Hospital, Erode, and his team of seven, including three surgeons and four paramedics, are on deputation.
In the rural and urban slums of Ghana, the rate of blindness is estimated at 2.2 per cent of the population. Ghana is determined to tackle the situation through a five-year strategic plan targeting five main causes of avoidable blindness, viz., cataract, trachoma, onchocerciosis, childhood blindness, refractive errors and low vision. Working along with WHO, the Health Ministry has sought help from non-governmental organisations in countries advanced in healthcare. Ghana has pinned its hopes on an association with India.
R Rangaraj
|
