2012-02-13
AMDA's Second Cataract Project in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the developing nations that has a large number of senior citizens with cataracts and most of them live in the rural areas where there aren't enough medical services avail to treat such condition. Patients simply are unable to afford the cost of lenses and the operation due to their economic conditions.

AMDA has been conducting various activities in Sri Lanka in the past, in particular, AMDA Peace Building Project (AMDA-PBP) through health from Feb. 2003 - July 2006. AMDA-PBP was implemented to contribute towards peace and harmony among three different ethnic communities in Sri Lanka, namely Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim. When the country went through a long-standing civil war, AMDA PBP provided medical services such as mobile clinic, mobile X-ray and health/ hygiene education for schools and communities from all three communities.

Following AMDA's two main motto of 'Local Initiative' and 'Sogo Fujo' spirit, AMDA initiated Free Cataract Operations Program covering all ethnic group equally in Sri Lanka. AMDA successfully completed the first such operations with the assistance from Taiwan International Health Action (TaiwanIHA) in August 2011 in the (Predominantly Tamil) northern Sri Lanka.

The second mission was held in the (predominantly Sinhala) south region of Sri Lanka, Panadura from 16-18th of Dec. 2011. The mission was held with the support of AMDA Taiwan who brought three surgeons from Taiwan and worked with the local doctors at the Lions Gift of Sight Hospital in Panadura. In total about 70 people benefited from this mission.

AMDA once again will team up with AMDA Taiwan to conduct the third such mission in the Trincomalee region of eastern Sri Lanka at the end of February 2012.

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