John Keells provides 'Vision'
"What you have done for us cannot be measured, because we are now
able to lead a normal life without being a burden to our children," said
S.K. Bandara Menike, from Karagahaulpata, a small village in Keppetipola,
Welimada - a beneficiary of the John Keells Vision Project.
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A patient being examined by Consultant
Eye Surgeon, Provincial General Hospital Badulla, Dr.
Iddawela, at a Vision camp organised by John Keells Social
Responsibility Foundation. |
Since its launch in 2004, the John Keells Vision Project has
continued to touch the lives of vision-impaired persons. 96 cataract
operations have been successfully carried out since April 2010, taking
the total number of operations to 3722.
In addition to carrying out cataract surgeries, spectacles too are
donated, with a total of 1509 reading glasses and prescription
spectacles provided to adults.
The most recent eye camps were held at the Kurupanawa Tea Factory,
Malamulla and Ettampitiya, Bandarawela. While cataract is recognised as
the most common cause of blindness in Sri Lanka, the tragedy is that, in
the majority of cases, it is curable. But ignorance of this fact or the
inability to purchase the required lens leads most patients to risk
progressive blindness.
With many of them being the breadwinners of their families, this
situation more often than not could have an adverse impact on the social
as well as economic situation of entire families.
World Sight Day, October 14, brought together all stakeholders
involved in restoring sight.
It was also the main advocacy event for the prevention of blindness
and for 'Vision 2020: The Right to Sight' - a global effort created by
WHO and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.
The John Keells Vision Project which is primarily an islandwide
cataract surgeries project is aligned with the WHO's 'Vision 2020'
project and is implemented via the John Keells Social Responsibility
Foundation.
Originally launched as `John Keells Vision 1000' in 2004/05, the
Vision Project targeted to restore the eyesight of 1000 needy cataract
patients throughout Sri Lanka. Since the original target was achieved
(and exceeded) by 2005/06, the project was continued in 2006/07 under
the amended name `John Keells Vision Project'.
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