Japan Red Cross assists Trinco eye patients

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 February 2006, 16:53 GMT]
The Japan Red Cross Society (JRCS) recently donated a 46 seater-airconditioned bus to the Trincomalee district branch of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) under the Sight Restoration and Vision Correction Project (SRVCP) to transport eye patients from Trincomalee district to Kandy general hospital for cataract operations. Trincomalee hospital has the facility to perform only 15 operations per week and cannot meet the current demand, JRCS sources said.

JRCS is also providing assistance to the SLRCS Trincomalee branch to supply spectacles free of charge to these patients after operation, sources said.

Mr.S.H.Nimalkumar, National Secretary of the SLRCS on Thursday handed over the bus to Trincomalee SLRCS officials at an event held at the National Headquarters of the SLRCS, sources said.

Mr. Kato, JRCS Country Co-ordinator, Dr.Makiko Kikuchi, JRCS Health Delegate and SLRCS officials participated in the event.

According to a survey done by health officials, about five thousand eye patients are identified for cataract operation in the Trincomalee district. But this number increases annually by about ten percent, medical sources said