30 patients, locals and Tibetans avail free cataract surgery at Delek Hospital
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA 26 Dec: The Delek Hospital and the Association for Ophthalmic Cooperation in Asia (AOCA) based in Japan has jointly organised the 22nd free cataract surgery camp at the Delek Hospital near the Central Tibetan Administration entrance.
A visiting team of experts from the AOCA are performing the eye examination and surgery at the free medical camp from 24th to 26th Dec.
According to data provided by the hospital, 234 patients, both Indians and Tibetans, showed up for screening at the Hospital. Out of which 30 patients were listed for surgery. Eighteen surgeries were carried out successfully yesterday, and the remaining 12 will be done by today.
Dawa Phunkyi, Chief administrator of the hospital told the Tibet Express that the camp was initially started in the year 2000 by a Tibet support group in Japan through the Tibetan Bureau office based in Japan to facilitate Tibetans in Dharamsala with cataract surgery.
The hospital, which provides the infrastructural arrangements, proposed that the facility be made available to both Tibetans and Indians, given the small number of Tibetan people in Dharamshala and the prevalence of cataracts amongst the Indian locals as well. Until now, the camp has carried out a total number of 6,824 screenings and 1,269 operations.
Phunkyi further added, “We couldn’t proceed with the camps during the COVID period for three years and resumed in 2023 and this is the second camp post-Covid”.
Rotary, an international network works with the hospital to garner awareness about the camp in the Indian local communities to gather patients. Thus far, the camp has seen more number of Indian patients than Tibetans.
This year is the 25th anniversary of the joint camp, and the head of the hospital confirmed that “ as a form of gratitude and appreciation, we were able to arrange an audience with the Dalai Lama for the visiting experts tomorrow”.
The Delek Hospital is a charitable institution aimed at helping less-privileged and under-resourced patients. The hospital is supported by the Central Tibetan Administration, commonly known as the Tibetan government in exile, the Indian Government and various donors.
