Light at the end of the tunnel

by Shanika Sriyananda

It was really then that they saw the 'light at the end of the tunnel'. No more tears in their eyes. No more worries in their hearts. No more worries about the future.

Only a vague smile retained in each of their faces despite the fears that troubled their souls. Now they definitely know that their eyes will be saved.

Their vision which was blurred just as their future until a few weeks ago is now clear. Just shut your eyes for a moment. Imagine that the whole world around you is dark. Can you feel the agony of blindness ? Hopefully not. Or can you feel the fears of losing your precious eye sight?

No.

But Ven. Veddhagala Wijeyawansa Thera or K.K.Jayasena or Fathima or Magilin Nona would tell you how it feels like to live on the edge of losing your eye sight, especially when your vision becomes blured day by day.

"We are re-born ", though there were no exclamations as such coming from these people on the eve of their lives, this was the silent message that radiated from every nook and corner of the eye camp held at the Kuwait Private Hospital, Puttlam recently.

Over 1,100 people with problems of eye sight were operated for cataract free-of-charge at the hospital during the week long eye clinic organised by the SELAN Muslim Association.

Started with performing cataract operations for 364 people in 2001, the Association has been able to save the eye sight of over 6400 people during the past seven years with the help of the Al-Basar International Foundation (Saudi Arabia) and Kuwait Red Crescent Society.

Assisted by consultant eye surgeons from Pakistan, the Association received approval from the Ministry of Health and had conducted screening camps in Batticaloa, Gampaha, Colombo, Anuradhapura, Kandy, Kalutara, Ampara, Kegalle, Kurunegala and Trincomalee to select the most affected by cataract.

"One cataract operation costs over Rs. 35,000 and a lens, which is made in America is nearly Rs. 15,000", Operation Manager of the SELAN, Saffir Sali said. According to Sali, patients are treated regardless of caste, creed or religion.

Ven. Veddhagala Wijeyawansa Thera of Wattuhena Nigrordharama Temple travelled from Kalawana to Kuwait Hospital Puttlam to regain his eye sight, which was affected due to cataract. The sixty-nine-year-old Thera had fears about performing religious ceremonies and even going around doing his own work as his eye sight was decreasing day by day.

Jayasena (71) who lives in Koswatta, Kalawana being a carpenter found it difficult to do his work for the last three years. Referred to the Ratnapura Hospital, he was asked to undergo a cataract operation but his financial situation had hindered him.

With grown up children, Jayasena was happy that he did not become a burden to them. " Now I can go back home and do my work. We must thank these organisers for giving us vision", he said.

The task of the Association will not end after performing the camp. Follow-up camps are held in Puttlam, Ratnapura and Colombo to check all those who had undergone cataract operations. After each cataract operation, each patient has to come for two post-operative follow-ups - one after a week and second after 8 to 10 weeks of the operation, under the guidance of the Pakistani consultants.

"The operation process has been 100 per cent successful due to tough surveillance and upto now there have been no complaints about mistakes", Sali said adding that their next mission is to build an eye hospital.

The main objective of holding free-eye camps is to eradicate cataract from the country.

"Ane me mahathayalata budu bawa ath wenna one. Mata penuma labadunnata" (I must thank these organisers for giving me vision) said Magi Nona, a 78-year-old mother.

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