Kathmandu, October 11:

Standard Chartered Bank Nepal Ltd (SCBNL) and Tilganga Eye Centre (TEC) ha-ve signed a pact to contribute towards elimination of avoidable blindness.

As per the agreement signed on the occasion of World Sight Day 2007, TEC will conduct screening camps between October 2007 and July 2008 for the underserved population of Kathmandu Valley and it’s neighbouring districts and the bank will sponsor cataract surgeries at the Tilganga hospital in Kathmandu for 600 needy patients identified in these camps.

Dr Sanduk Ruit, medical director of TEC and Sujit Mundul, CEO of SCBNL signed the agreement yesterday. These cataract surgeries are being sponsored from the funds raised by the bank through charity events and walkathon, an annual event.

This CSR programme is a part of Standard Chartered Group’s ambitious plan to fund community and education projects to cure and prevent blindness for 10 million people across 20 countries announced last year on the occasion of the World Sight Day.

The bank will work with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to fund community and education projects to cure and prevent blindness for 10 million people across 20 countries.