World Sight Day observed in Mangalore

World Sight Day observed in Mangalore

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Oct 13: The department of ophthalmology of Kasturba Medical College (KMC) Mangalore in association with Wenlock Hospital observed World Sight Day 2011 at Seminar Hall on the second floor of the OPD Block on Oct 13 Thursday.

MUDA Chairman Dr. Madhav Bhandary said that blindness is a major problem for many people. Stating that a generous person has donated Rs. 18 crore to Lady Goschen Hospital, he said that this is because of the efforts of Deputy Speaker N. Yogesh Bhat. He also said that doctors and donors have together raised a fund of Rs. 47 lakh so far for poor patients.

Wenlock Hospital Dean Dr. Saroja said that the hospital has launched the District Blind Control Society in 28 districts in order to study the problem of blindness. She added that free spectacles will be given to teachers as well as school children.

 

She said that free eye camps will be held in schools every year from Jan 15 to Jan 30 and again from June 15 to June 30. During the camp, doctors will check for Vit A deficiency and will also provide it.

D. Satyanarayan, the deputy district health officer and camp coordinator, told Mangalore Today that the team will conduct the eye camp in various districts every Tuesday and Friday, unless it is a government holiday. He also said that Wenlock conducts the largest number of camps in the district, adding that the hospital has already conducted 98 camps and 1000 operations in 2010 – 11 and that it has conducted over 500 operations and 40 camps this year.

Further, he said that 70 – 80 percent of the operations conducted in the hospital are for removal of cataracts through laser in just 2 minutes. He said that the camps are held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the patients are brought to the hospital by bus and taken back to their destinations if there is a group of over 10 patients, otherwise, patients have to arrange their own transportation.

He also said that the hospital has Slit Lamp, Nd- Yag Laser, Argon Laser, Optical Coherence Tomography, Fundus Photo, and others and will soon get a Lasik and Video Slit Lamp.

Dr. Rajesh Nayak, Dr. M.V. Prabhu, and Dr. Gurudatt Kamath were also present.