Chandigarh News - Rotary Club ties up with PGI to help the visually impaired

The Rotary Club of Chandigarh in association with the Advanced Eye Care Centre of the PGI launched the 'Gift of Sight' project here today. Under the project, the Rotary Club will spend over Rs 19 lakh to restore eyesight to about 160 poor patients who require complicated vitreoretinal surgery.

 

Addressing mediapersons at the PGI, Director PGI Professor K K Talwar said, "PGI receives approximately 50,000 to 60,000 patients every year pertaining to retinal diseases. Of these, around 1500 patients have to undergo complicated vitreoretinal surgeries. These surgeries require costly disposables as well as consumables. Unfortunately, these diseases are commonly seen in the poorer sections of the society. These patients cannot afford the surgery and loose their vision for the want of surgery."

 

Rotary Club has come forward to financially support patients so that they can be operated in time to save their eyesight. "Many patients including children have to live with blindness for the rest of their lives because of economic reasons. We thank Rotary Club for their support," added Prof Talwar.

 

Also present on the occasion were former Rotary International President Rajendra K Saboo and the head of the Advanced Eye Care Centre, Prof Amod Gupta. He highlighted the complications of the vitreous and retinal disorders which lead to blindness in a considerable number of patients.

 

Rotarian Arvind Mehan, during whose presidentship the project was launched last year as part of club's Golden Jubilee celebrations, said that the Rotary Club of Chandigarh had entered into a twin club agreement with the Rotary Club of Coral Gables, USA, which led to the idea of starting this project in collaboration with PGI.

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