Pax Earth, with a technical support of Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO) and co-operation from Kanpur Higher Secondary School, organised one day’s “Kanpur Eye Camp 2015” at Kanpur Higher Secondary School, Kanpur VDC, Kavre, Nepal on Thursday March 12, 2015. Four hundred 27 underprivileged community people from Timal region including Kanpur, Methinkot, Sansyukarka, Narayansthan, Katunje, Chapakhori and Mechchhe could benefit from this historic eye camp. Fifty seven percent of the beneficiaries were female.
A team of TIO led by an eye technician Hari Karki along with Shakti Om Makaju, Indira Neupane, Manu Chhetri and Jayami provided a general eye screening for the community people. From 3 year’s Rohan Poudel to 97 year’s Dhan Bahadur Lama could screen their eyes in the camp. Those having nominal eye problems were provided medicine for free, those having severe eye problems were referred to the nearby eye hospitals and those diagnosed with cataract were taken to Kathmandu for surgery. Out of the total screened, 33 persons (7.73 percent) were diagnosed with cataract. The list of the cataract patients is provided in Table 1.
The Table 1 clearly indicates that 64 percent of the cataract patients are female. The average age of cataract patients is 72 years. Pax Earth members, well-wishers, teachers and students of the Kanpur Higher Secondary School thoroughly involved in the camp day – from registration to queue management, vision test to eye screening and counselling. In the evening, Pax Earth team brought the cataract patients at Druk Pema Karpo Clinic in Kathmandu for the surgery. However, a cataract patient (Maili Tamang), could not go to Kathmandu due to a personal health issue.
On March 13, an eye surgeon team from the TIO led by renowned senior ophthalmologist Dr. Sanduk Ruit performed surgery on the eyes of all 32 cataract patients at the Druk Pema Karpo Clinic for free. From 49 year’s Maiya Chimouriya to 97 year’s Dhan Bahadur Lama have benefitted from the cataract surgery. Buddhist nuns, scouts and Pax Earth members rendered service to the cataract patients from pre-surgery check-ups to post-surgery care. Surgery of all cataract patients was successful.
On March 14, a TIO eye technician team performed follow check-up on the eye(s) of all 32 cataract patients. They gave medicines for the next one month and provided important counselling for taking a good care of their eyes. Keeping suggestion in mind, the cataract patients headed to their home. Pax Earth team dropped them at the nearby home stations from Bhakunde through Kot Timal.
The eye camp was a huge success not only from the perspective of a large turnout of the community people and successful cataract surgery but also from the extent of support, contribution and co-operation received from the collaborators and community people from beginning till the end. Excellent commitment, contribution, service and dedication of Pax Earth members and well-wishers, outstanding support and contribution from the TIO, excellent cooperation from the Kanpur Higher Secondary School, strong support from the community people, and exceptional service from the nuns and scouts have led this program to a grand success event. The eye camp was coordinated excellently by secretary Binod P. Mainali. These camps are instrumental in socio-economic transformation of the economically backward communities.
Table 1 List of cataract patients screened from the Kanpur Eye Camp 2015
| SN | Name of the patient | Address | Sex | Age | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maiya Chimouriya | Methinkot | F | 49 | Both eye |
| 2 | Maya Tamang | Kot Timal | F | 67 | Right eye |
| 3 | Maili Tamang* | Kanpur | F | 65 | Right eye |
| 4 | Thuli Maya Tamang | Narayansthan | F | 76 | Both eye |
| 5 | Jamo Maya Tamang | Narayansthan | F | 77 | Left eye |
| 6 | Buddha Narayan Tamang | Narayansthan | M | 83 | Left eye |
| 7 | Shuva Kumari Mainali | Kanpur | F | 76 | Left eye |
| 8 | Thulo Kanchha Tamang | Kanpur | M | 92 | Left eye |
| 9 | Buddhi Bahadur Bhandari | Kot Timal | M | 66 | Left eye |
| 10 | Dhan Bahadur Lama | Kanpur | M | 97 | Left eye |
| 11 | Rukmini Devi Khanal | Kanpur | F | 82 | Right eye |
| 12 | Pancha Lal Tamang | Kanpur | M | 79 | Right eye |
| 13 | Bir Singh Tamang | Kanpur | M | 80 | Left eye |
| 14 | Hoisal Tamang | Kot Timal | M | 59 | Right eye |
| 15 | Santa Bahadur Tamang | Mechchhe | M | 71 | Right eye |
| 16 | Shamsher Tamang | Kot Timal | M | 63 | Left eye |
| 17 | Rani Maya Tamang | Kot Timal | F | 61 | Right eye |
| 18 | Tika Maya Shrestha | Kanpur | F | 80 | Right eye |
| 19 | Suku Rani Tamang | Kanpur | F | 74 | Right eye |
| 20 | Kanchhi Tamang | Kanpur | F | 80 | Both eye |
| 21 | Padam Dhital | Kanpur | M | 81 | Left eye |
| 22 | Thuli Maya Tamang | Kanpur | F | 70 | Right eye |
| 23 | Kanchhi Maya Tamang | Katunje | F | 75 | Both eye |
| 24 | Indra Bahadur Koirala | Kot Timal | M | 61 | Left eye |
| 25 | Santa Maya Tamang | Kanpur | F | 59 | Left eye |
| 26 | Damaisya Tamang | Kanpur | F | 70 | Right eye |
| 27 | Buddhi Maya Bhujel | Kanpur | F | 81 | Left eye |
| 28 | Pabitra Devi Poudel | Kanpur | F | 76 | Right eye |
| 29 | Thule Tamang | Kanpur | M | 74 | Right eye |
| 30 | Moti Tamang | Sasyunkharka | M | 80 | Right eye |
| 31 | Urmila Bhujel | Kanpur | F | 55 | Both eye |
| 32 | Sumitra Tamang | Kanpur | F | 56 | Both eye |
| 33 | Sun Maya Tamang | Kanpur | F | 52 | Right eye |
*Did not go to Kathmandu for surgery due to a personal health issue.
Reported by PEN Secretariat!
Acknowledgement!
Pax Earth is grateful to all the helping hands to make the eye camp one of the grand events in the history of Pax Earth. It is a team effort that has helped to realise this huge event. We would like to heartily thank co-organiser TIO for their invaluable support and cooperation in organising this event successfully. Without their help, we could not have organised this event. We express our sincere gratitude to respected senior ophthalmologist Dr. Sanduk Ruit and his (eye surgeons) team for performing surgery on the cataract of economically backward people for free and bringing their vision back. We are thankful to eye technician team of TIO: Hari Karki, Shakti Om Makaju, Manu Chhetri, Indira Neupane and Jayami for rendering excellent eye screening service at the camp day. We are thankful to local organiser the Kanpur Higher Secondary School for all the support and cooperation. We are particularly indebted to Principal Sudarshan Prasad Badal, teachers and students for their commitment and service. We are grateful to well-wisher Bidur Giri not only for becoming a bridge between TIO and Pax Earth but also for his great service in conducting the camp. We are thankful to the management of Druk Pema Karpo Clinic for all the support including food, accommodation and home care provided to the cataract patients from March 12 to March 14. Buddhist nuns at the Druk Pema Karpo Clinic deserve a special thanks for the great humanitarian service.
Indeed, an excellent team work and coordination between and among the committees formed to conduct the eye camp have collectively contributed to its success. Hats-off to eye camp coordinator Binod P. Mainali and his organising team: president Sujan Koirala, treasurer Bal Gopal Shrestha, well-wisher Bidur Giri and honorary member Kapil Koirala for their hard work, commitment, time and dedication to make this event a huge success. We would thank promotional campaign committee coordinator Dev Raj Karki and members (Sujan Koirala and Binod P. Mainali) for their praiseworthy promotional campaign which could attract more than 400 locals; fundraising committee coordinator Sujan Koirala and members (Kapil Deuja, Debraj Ghimire, Jamuna Siwakot and Kamala Basnet) for raising adequate fund to hold the camp; volunteers mobilisation committee coordinator Guna Raj Pyakurel and members (Kamala Basnet and Manohar Sapkota) for arranging and mobilising the volunteers effectively; food and beverage committee coordinator Manohar Sapkota and members (Jamuna Siwakoti and Prabin Giri) for serving delicious meals at the camp; resource management committee coordinator Sujan Koirala, and members (Binod P. Mainali, Debraj Ghimire, and Kapil Deuja) for arranging all necessary resources and equipment; printing and publishing committee coordinator Kumar Nagarkoti and members (Sujan Koirala and Binod P. Mainali) for creating attractive banners and papers for promoting the event at the host and neighbouring villages. Hearty thanks to Pax Earth’s national coordinator for Finland Prem Shah and his friends for their financial support. We are also thankful to all the journalists: Kapil Koirala, Nawaraj Mainali, Rajib Khatry, Ashok Poudel and Pooja Puri for spreading our news through print, online and visual media.
Besides, we are thankful to all the volunteers (including Pax Earth members) for rendering exceptional service in the camp day, surgery day and seeing-off day. (Camp Day: students of Kanpur Higher Secondary School: Iswor Dhital, Binita Mainali, Sunita Shrestha, Goma Silwal, Indira Gautam, Indira Humagain, Mira Shiwakoti, Ram Lal Shrestha, Ajay Tamang, Subhash Ghale, Gyanu Mainali, Til Kumari Shrestha, Sonu Shrestha and Dinesh Adhikari; Pax Earth team: president Sujan Koirala, vice president Guna Raj Pyakurel, secretary and camp coordinator Binod P. Mainali, treasurer Bal Gopal Shrestha, board members: Kamala Basnet and Jamuna Siwakoti, members: Manohar Sapkota, Kapil Koirala, Kapil Deuja, Debraj Ghimire, Rajan Dulal, Bidur Giri, Rajani Poudyal, Prabin Giri, well-wishers: Nilas Sarma, Rupa Pandey, Sachin Mahat and Jeevan Shrestha; Scouts: Shristy Karki and her team, and the nuns at Druk Pema Karpo Clinic. Surgery Day: president Sujan Koirala, secretary and camp coordinator Binod P. Mainali, members: Kapil Deuja, Debraj Ghimire, well-wisher Bidur Giri, patient’s attendants: Pasang Dolma, Chimouriya sister, Shrestha sisters, Sahila Tamang, scouts (Shristy Karki and her team) and nuns. Seeing-off Day: Pax Earth team – president Sujan Koirala, secretary and camp coordinator Binod P. Mainali, member Kapil Koirala, Scouts: Puja Puri, Anju Giri and Santoshi Lamichhane Gurung, patient’s attendants: Pasang Dolma, Chimouriya sister, Shrestha sisters and Sahila Tamang deserve a great appreciation for their exceptional service to the patients during the journey back to their home and dropping them at their home stations.
Last but not the least, we would like to thank the driver’s team: Sachin Mahat and Jeevan Shrestha for offering a smooth ride for the cataract patients and Pax Earth members on the camp day as well as seeing-off day.
