|
Having eye defects is the big suffering and this is far worse for defected children. The “Light for children” programme, jointly held by the National Eye Hospital, Binh Dinh Eye Hospital, and other organizations from July 16-20, brought happiness to many children.
 |
|
Smile comes as they are helped to recover their eyesight and believe in life. Photo T.H
|
“I wish to have the same eyes as my friends”
Tay Son District’s Binh Hoa primary school’s 5th grade girl Nguyen Thi My Le who has strabismus was used to be teased and kept away by her classmates.
“Although sitting at the top table, I was unable to see the blackboard,” she said. “I felt self-pity when being teased by my friends. I, thus, didn’t want to go to school. I only wished to have the same eyes as my friends.”
Her parents who live in Binh Tan commune, Tay Son Dictrict took her to the hospital on July 20 and asked doctors to cure the innate strabismus.
Being informed that Le would get free eye surgery, her mother was very happy and hastily took her to the hospital.
She looks thin, black and smaller than her age of 13. Le was unable to walk by herself until 5. Some people advised her parents to take her to Ho Chi Minh City where have some hospitals could cure her strabismus three years ago. However, they couldn’t afford the surgery.
They had to borrow VND600.000 from neighbors to take her to this hospital.
The happiness can be increased many fold
Among, 85 children with eye birth defects selected for the free eye surgery most come from disadvantaged families.
Blindness has been an urgent issue for many years. However, Binh Dinh didn’t have any treatment programme for children. Since 2009, Binh Dinh Eye Hospital has examined, selected and operated on eye defects patients under the Australia’s FHF Organization’s financial assistance and the National Eye Hospital’s technical assistance.
104 children received free surgery last year and 85 have been operated since early this year. “The programme has helped recover eyesight for children and made them believe in life,” said Director of Binh Dinh Eye Hospital, Nguyen Thanh Triet.
The Binh Dinh Eye Hospital has also grasped advanced technologies for eye surgery from Dr. Ha Huy Tai, The National Eye Hospital’s training ward, through this programme.
The hospital is expected to perform children’s eye operation on its own in the next 2 years.
The defects of eyelid collision, strabismus in children should be early cured; otherwise it can badly affect the eyes’ functions, according to the experts. The late operation can only deal with aesthetics. Therefore, the propagation should be promoted and such a programme should be held frequently.
The expenditure for children eye operation is mostly funded by FHF under the community-based eye care project. However, the project will by 2012. Hence, we should seek other sponsors to help the children with eye defects develop well, both physically and mentally.
| 
