Free Eye Camps in Chad - 2013

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Category: Recent Projects

Published on Saturday, 01 June 2013 06:54

Written by Super User

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Dated: 21^st March 6^th April 2013

Report BY: Dr. Intzar Hussain

We came back to Pakistan yesterday after having two free eye camps in Chad where 1374 Cataract patients were operated and intra ocular lenses implanted. 

In Chad two free eye camps were planned, the first camp was conducted in Abeche City, which is an almost 1000 kilo meter from the capital Nd Jamina. A team of four eye surgeons & two operation theatre assistants reached Nd Jamina on 21^st March 2013.

Next morning they travelled to Abeche. The journey to Abeche was very much hectic due to the road travel of 18 hours. In 1000 kilo meter of road travel, 300 kilo meter of road actually doesn’t exist.

The 1st free eye camp was conducted from 23^rd – 27^th March 2013 in Abeche. It was inaugurated by Governor and this camp was held in collaboration with IIRO (International Islamic Relief Organization). In this camp 924 cataract surgeries were performed and intra ocular Lenses were implanted. The camp had good media coverage on National TV and newspapers. We’re also supported & facilitated by Saudi Ophthalmologists.

The team returned back to Nd Jamina on 28^th March 2013 & travelled again for the city Kilo in the South of Chad.

It is about 400 kilo meters from Nd Jamina. Due to bad road conditions it took around 8 hours to reach Kilo. Camp was conducted in the local hospital. There is no concept of Electricity Supply in Kilo city, the only source of Power is Generators. The working conditions in Kilo were not up to the mark. Aircondioner in OT was some time out of order while temperature in Chad during our visit was above 40 °C. Local paramedics were not well trained but Alhamdollilah despite all the difficulties in this camp, which was conducted in the collaboration with WAMY (World Assembly of Muslim Youth) from 30^th March 2013 to 1^st April 2013, we were able to 450 patients in three days. Almost all the patients were bi-lateral, mature and hyper mature cataracts. When we left Kilo, still many hundreds of patients were sitting there and waiting for the surgery.

We left Chad on 2^nd of April 2013 and reached Kingdome of Saudi Arabia on 3^rd April, we spent one night at Madina and came to Makkah for Umra next day on 4^th April 2013.

On 6^th April a welcome reception to the team of FIMA Save Vision was arranged at IIRO (International Islamic Relief Organization) office at Jeddah. The event was very well attended by all directors and other executives of IIRO. Dr. Intzar Hussain Director FIMA Save Vision introduced the FIMA and the activities of FIMA Save Vision. Shields were given to the delegation members of FIMA Save Vision, and the activities FIMA Save Vision were appreciated by Sec. General IIRO Ehssan Saleh Taieb, Medical Director IIRO Dr. Muhammad Al Hadad and Dr. Aziz Khoja whom spoke on the occasion. They expressed gratitude to the delegation for the free eye camp in Abeche and wished for the future collaboration with FIMA Save Vision as well.

MoU between IIRO & FIMA Save Vision were prepared for future collaboration World Wide. The event was followed by a wonderful lunch for the participants.

In the afternoon I’d a detailed discussion with Dr. Mehmood Majeed (WAMY) at his residence regarding activities and collaboration between FIMA Save Vision & WAMY.

After magrab prayer Director FIMA Save Vision had a multimedia presentation of FIMA Save Vision activities with its main focus on Africa, Gaza & Somaliland to the Saudi ophthalmologists at WAMY office Jeddah.

Here we’d a meeting with Sec. General of WAMY Dr. Muhammad bin Umar Badadh. This meeting ended on a dinner with Directors of WAMY.