Enhancing eyecare in Mauritius
In June 2024, the Rotary Club of Thane, RID 3142, and RC Phoenix Mauritius, RID 9220, organised a medical camp in Mauritius to screen and treat people suffering from vitreoretinal disorders — a group of eye conditions affecting the retina and vitreous, leading to severe vision impairment or blindness if left untreated.
A five-day medical camp was organised at the Subramania Bharati Eye Hospital in Moka, Mauritius. Anand Kale, the then president of RC Thane, accompanied two ophthalmologists from India who screened 120 people and performed 40 surgeries at the island country. The initiative also aimed to train the medical professionals at the hospital. “We wanted to empower the local doctors with advanced skills and knowledge,” says Ajay Kelkar, past president of RC Thane.
The connection between the two clubs goes back to 2017 when Kale attended a meeting at RC Phoenix while on a business trip to Mauritius. “Whenever he was in Mauritius, he would attend our club meeting and we were happy to host him,” says Chandru Hassamal, a member of RC Phoenix Mauritius. In 2017, the club supported RC Thane by donating $3,000 to help build a check dam, marking the start of their collaborative efforts.
The next year RC Phoenix members visited India to meet the doctors and learn about squint eye surgery for underprivileged children. They also contributed $2,500 for constructing a toilet block in a girls school in Thane. Subsequently RC Thane sponsored two ophthalmologists, Atul Seth and Siddharth Kesarwani, to Mauritius where they screened 160 children with squint eye disorder and performed corrective surgeries on 50 children. The following year, another 50 children were treated. (read the squint eye story at – https://rotarynewsonline.org/treating-squint-eye-in mauritius/)
The project was paused due to the Covid pandemic. As the need for squint eye surgeries decreased, the clubs shifted focus to vitreoretinal disorders. “We have advanced infrastructure at the Subramania Bharati Eye Hospital, but lacked a vitreoretinal expert,” says Hassamal. The two ophthalmologists from India, Karan A K and Sweta Patro, provided workshops and hands-on training to equip local doctors with skills to manage complex retinal surgeries.
The project cost approximately ₹85 lakh.
