By Ebunoluwa Sessou

It was a moment of hope and relief at the Indo Eye Care Foundation facility in Lagos, as two thousands five hundred patients, many of whom had battled poor eyesight for over a decade trooped in for free cataract surgeries organised by the Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove Estate in partnership with the Indian community.

The program which was witnessed by the Consul General of Indian in Lagos Shri Chandranmouli Kumar and the District Governor of Rotary International District 9111, Rotn Prince Henry Akinyele was organised to give sight to persons who cannot see.

Leading the delegation to inspect the on-going “Mission for Vision”, project, the District Governor, Rotarian Henry Akinyele, described it as “a signature initiative that has given sight to more than 30,000 people in nearly two decades.”

“When you give sight to people, you restore their dignity, their livelihood and their place in society,” he said. “This project is symbolic of what Rotary stands for service above self.”

Akinyele noted that the Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove-Estate has stood out among Clubs in organizing free cataract surgeries adding that the club has also partnered with other Rotary Clubs to replicate the project in other places.

While eye health has become synonymous with the Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove Estate, Akinyele noted that Rotary Clubs across the country also tackle water scarcity, microcredit, maternal health, education and environmental projects.

“In just two and a half months in office, I have seen clubs provide clean water to communities for the first time, empower artisans with tools and fund peace-building initiatives,” he said.

In his testimony, the Consul General Lagos, Shri Chandranmouli Kumar commended the collaboration as “a perfect effort with no profit motive but enormous societal gain.”

He urged more Nigerians and corporate bodies to support the initiative:

“Funds and manpower are needed to sustain this noble cause. The positive story of Indo Eye Care Foundation must be amplified so more people can benefit,” he said.

The Head of Trustee of the Indo Eye care Foundation, Rotarian Tarun Sanghvi explained that the exercise has the support of the Lagos State Ministry of Health adding that in year 2025, the Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove-Estate in partnership with Indo Eye foundation target 2,500 surgeries with the Rotary year.

“Every operation here is 100 percent free,” Tarun said. “Patients do not pay a kobo for consultation, surgery, post-operative drugs or even refreshments. We also provide water, juice and biscuits for patients and family members who arrive as early as 6 a.m. and stay till evening.”

He added that the hospital, once converted to a COVID-19 facility by the Indian community during the pandemic, now houses state-of-the-art equipments.

“Since its first camp in 2005, the initiative has conducted over 30,000 cataract surgeries, distributed thousands of free eyeglasses and screened tens of thousands of school children for vision problems”, he said.

He added that the ‘Mission for Vision’ project, is an effort that reflects Rotary’s seven pillars.

Responding to questions about funding, Tarun said the majority of resources come from the “very generous” Indian community, corporate donors, pharmaceutical companies adding that the Lagos State Ministry of Health also provides regulatory support.

He also said, other sponsors including Ishk Tolaram foundation, Pardee Foods, HB Chanrai Foundation, Dinesh Rathi/Naveen, Bara Power, Kewalram Group, Sacvin Group, Panaar Limited, Kunal Sanghvi Foundation have done so much in ensuring the success of the project.

The club plans to scale up cataract surgeries from 2,500 to 5,000 annually and sustain its school screening programme which recently covered 94 schools, screening 50,000 pupils and distributing over 10,000 eyeglasses.

The president of Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove-Estate, Rotn Pravin Kumar said, the project is a selfless service that is beyond writing a cheque; “It is a collective commitment to humanity.”

In his contribution, the Mission for Vision Project Chair, Rotn Anuj Murarka noted that the ‘Mission for Vision’ project stands today as a model of what public-private and community partnerships can achieve in tackling health inequities and restoring hope to the most vulnerable.

Beneficiaries present at the event testified to regaining their sight after years of visual impairment. One patient, Atama Samuel , described the experience as “a miracle,” saying he could now “see colours, faces and work again.”

“At first when I stepped into the facility, I did not believe that, it was possible to carry out such project without collecting money but now, I can tell you that everything in the facility is completely free.
“I will tell other people about this gesture. A friend introduced me to this foundation, I will also tell other people as well”, he said.