RAMECHHAP, MARCH 11

Seventy-six-year-old Budhi Maya Rasaili of Umakunda Rural Municipality couldn't contain her joy after undergoing eye surgery at an eye camp in Manthali, Ramechhap, today.

She had been suffering from cataract in her eyes for the past five years. She said she had regained life after five years. She saw the world with both her eyes after the surgery at the eye camp.

Rasaili had walked for a day to Manthali from Bamti of the rural municipality. She said that she could not even recognise her family members after she could not open her eyes five years ago. 'I feel I have regained my life after the surgery,' she said. She further added that she could not receive treatment as she was unaware about the treatment facility.

The elderly said that many people were compelled to stay in their houses and were facing problems due to poverty and lack of education. 'The doctors are gods as they showed me the world,' she said.

Many elderlies like Budhi Maya have received treatment.

People are thronging in the eye camp for treatment.

The villagers said that they were deprived of health facility due to lack of treatment expenses and superstitious beliefs.

The eye patients said that they had benefited from the camp as they could not receive treatment even though the disease was diagnosed earlier.

Tilganga Eye Institute, Kathmandu, Ramechhap Community Eye Camp, Manthali Saving and Credit Cooperative and Tama Koshi Hospital helped operate the camp where 556 people were treated.

Puskal Ghimire of Ramechhap Community Eye Centre said that as many as 228 people have been operated upon in the eye camp.

As many as 15 health workers deployed from Tilganga Eye Hospital, Kathmandu, provided the service to patients.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 12, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.