Eye Care in Bangladesh

 EYE CAMPS IN BANGLADESH 2015 to 2016

  Blindness due to cataract is a major health concern in Bangladesh affecting 1.53% or 675000 people. The eye camps are organized in rural areas to raise awareness about eye care, provide a free consultation and primary treatment with medicines, screening for cataract and arranging hospital based surgery with implantation of an intraocular lens and necessary followup. The target population was the rural poor. During the project 3 children needed care, 1 with a Retinoblastma and 2 with acute eye problems. Also, outside the camps 4 individual poor patients were referred by the Poor Patient Welfare Society for cataract surgery. Once the cataract is removed and replaced with a lens the patient is no longer a burden and becomes a working asset to their family.

     In Ragpur 71 patients were screened of whom 25 had cataract surgery, cost £625; in Islampur 255 were screened of whom 112 were given medical treatment and 45 cataract with lens operations, cost £1100; In Dinaippur 88 were screened and 25 cataract operations, cost £750 and in Jaigir 26 screened and 126 cataract operations cost £300. Seven individual patients were treated in Islamai Eye Hospital, cost £79 and one child is still being treated for a retinoblastoma cost £673.

   Rotarians from RC Dhaka Kawran Bazar Club were responsible for organizing eye teams, suitable venues for the camps and arranging food and transportation for patients from outlying villages. Rotarians provided transport for patient attendance; registered patients and wrote up case histories for doctors and assisted doctors to administer eye drops-medicine and pot operation counselling.

   It is planned to support future camps between now and March 2017.

April 23 2016

The pictures show patients registering and recovering after surgery and sweaters being distributed.