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Ophthalmologists from the HCM City Eye Hospital are soliciting donors to finance their charitable services and student outreach.
"We need more contributions from individuals and groups in order to continue our care and treatment for poor patients," said the hospital’s director Dr Tran Thi Phuong Thu."All donations are welcome, and we also need volunteers to help with inpatient care and medical training."
Dr Thu said that thanks to the generous support of both foreign and domestic donors, the hospital’s surgeons have helped restore the eyesight of 21,183 disadvantaged patients over the past three years, at a total cost of VND11.5 billion (US$800,000).
The hospital’s Charity Clinic performed about 7,000 of the operations, while the rest were done by surgeons at hospitals and clinics in other provinces and cities.
Among other services, HCM City’s hospital has focused on treating students’ eye ailments, such as blindness and nearsightedness. Its statistics suggest that nearly 70 per cent of urban students were nearsighted, as compared to 33 per cent of rural youth.
The hospital has hosted six training ophthalmological training courses for school health care staff, and implemented an educational programme in five schools to increase students’ awareness of proper eye care.
With increased funding, the hospital would expand its collaboration with community clinics, Dr Thu said.
VNCG-VDC1 - (28/07/2004)
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