A number of 38 distressed ophthalmic patients returned home with renewed eye vision on Friday after receiving cost-free operations in Bashundhara Eye Hospital and Research Institute (BEHRI), reports Daily Sun.
BEHRI in association with Vision Care Foundation and Dwarka Das Welfare Society (DDWS) arranged the operations the previous day.
On February 28, DDWS supported by BEHRI organised a daylong eye camp on the Dwarka Das Agarwala Mohila College premises at Harinarayanpur and provided 1,800 ophthalmic patients with treatment, medicines and glasses.
The 38 patients belonged to the first batch of a total of 260 selected for eye surgeries in the eye camp.
Mentionable, the patients are exempted from the costs of diagnosis, treatment, transportation, surgeries, hospital stay, medicine and glasses free of charge.
Paban Kumar Agarwal, founder and chairman of DDWS, was present at the hospital to exchange views with the patients and assure them of all-out supports.
Talking to the Daily Sun, Paban Kumar Agarwal said “My mission of supporting poor ophthalmic patients dates back to 2017. A lot of people are suffering from eye problem in my union. Many of them are so poor that they do not afford treatment. So, I thought maybe god told me to try my best to return their vision. Eyes are the main and essential part of the body. Without eyes, a man struggles to survive. That’s why, I decided to try more and more to give eye vision to the poor people.”
Every year, nearly 1,600 patients receive eye treatment under arrangement of Dwarka Das Welfare Society, he said, adding “My mission is to continue serving the poor as long as I am alive.”
Recalling the humanitarian gesture of his father, Paban Kumar claimed to have been following footsteps of his ancestor to stand by the poor in his locality.
“My father was a social worker. From him I learnt to help poor people. However, giving eye vision to the ophthalmic patients is absolutely my personal choice,” he opined.
About response of the eye patients, he said “Recipients of eye treatment are not confined to my own union of Harinarayanpur. Hailing from various places of Kushtia, Jhenaidah, Magura and other districts, people are availing themselves of the opportunity. Everybody irrespective of religion, caste and locality is welcomed. ”
Beyond supporting eye treatment, he is running a homeopathic medical centre and women’s college in aide of the villagers.
“I established a homeopathic medical centre in my village where 90-100 patients are given cost-free treatment and medicines daily. I have been running the service since my father’s death. Besides, I established Dwarka Das Agarwala Mohila College named after my father to make education available to the doorsteps of girls in my area. The students are exempted from tuition fees.”
Director of BEHRI Prof Dr Md Saleh Ahmed along with other doctors of the hospital conducted the operation.
Prof Md Saleh Ahmed said Bashundhara Eye Hospital and Research Institute is the only organisation in the country to be testing eyes of poor patients and providing them with treatment and operations for free.
“Alongside free treatment in the eye camp, we select critical patients requiring operations. Nearly 40-50 patients are taken to the hospital for surgery every phase. They are immune from the cost of transportation, hospital stay, food, surgery and medicines.”
In a reaction to surgery, Hazera Khatun, a patient from Bittipara village of Shailakupa upazila under Jhenaidah, said “I could not see well for 3-4 years. My right eye has been operated. Now, I feel well.”
Expressing satisfaction with surgery, Bithi Rani Das, a patient from Harinarayanpur, said she has now got rid of blurred vision.
Ahsan Habib, Manager of BEHRI, said free treatment and operation are aimed at returning vision to the poor and destitute patients of the country and 2,340 patients have so far received surgery.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
