Indian surgeons conduct free eye surgeries in Nigeria, Ghana

Mysuru: Three senior surgeons from the state carried out free eye surgeries in Nigeria and Ghana. As part of a drive, Dr Sundar Ram Shetty, Dr Ravishankar Venkatasubbaiah and Dr Vasanth Kumar also trained eight local eye surgeons and an anaesthesiologist in the foreign countries in a bid to improve the quality of medical care.

The doctors and other stakeholders will also launch a three-month training programme for the surgeons from Nigeria in Bengaluru to help them carry out complex surgeries.

Seventy-year-old Dr Shetty of Globe Eye Foundation, Bengaluru, performed 42 adult surgeries at Rotary Eye Hospital, OTA, Nigeria, while 62-year-old Dr Venkatasubbaiah from Mysuru performed 28 eye surgeries at Northern Community Eye Hospital, Tamale, Ghana, and 26 eye surgeries in Nigeria. Sixty-year-old Dr Kumar, who originally hails from Mysuru and is currently serving at GIMSR Medical College, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, served as the anaesthesiologist in Nigeria.

Dr Venkatasubbaiah performed the surgeries in Ghana between March 11 and 14, while in Nairobi, all three served between March 17 and 21. Dr Venkatasubbaiah performed paediatric eye surgeries, while Dr Shetty performed cataract and pterygium surgeries. "The idea behind this drive is eradicating preventable blindness among the population in these two countries," said Dr Ravishankar.

Various Rotary clubs and philanthropists supported this cause, said Dr Ravishankar.