Enhancing eyecare in Mauritius

A surgery in progress at the medical camp 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/)

IPP of RC Thane Anand Kale (L), Dr A K Karan and Dr Sweta Patro (fourth from L) with ophthalmologists from 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.

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