The Sai Maa Cataract program is in full swing in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India.
This week I am attending the Eye Camp program in which the cataract screening process takes place. It is being held at the Vivekanand Mission Hospital in Bhadohi, Saint Ravidas Nagar about 17 kilometers outside of Varanasi. On Friday, the hospital ambulance toured the 120 km (75 miles) of back roads canvassing the local villages, announcing the program via loud speakers mounted on the roof of the vehicle. Today, what attracts the many villagers is not only the opportunity to qualify for a cataract surgery, but also the opportunity for free eye treatments. With the eye exams they are given medicines and education pertaining to their ailment.
This is a particularly busy weekend. There are around 200 villagers in attendance whereas the average is usually around 120-150 per camp. From that, the ophthalmologists usually identify 20 candidates for the cataract surgery. Today, 24 people are eligible.
Due to the ophthalmologists schedule this weekend, the eye camp is combined with the surgeries. The staff and technicians finish the camp around 3 pm and the doctors begin the operations at 4 pm, finishing around 10 pm in the night. Dinner is ready for them as they finish. Then they are driven back to Varanasi, where they reach their homes around midnight. This service was their Saturday.
Before the villagers leave, each is given a photo of Mataji and a packet of biscuits. What I love about India is that no one ever leaves a program without a material exchange reflecting the giving of one heart to another. It is a gift to be a part of this beautiful process.
This is a particularly busy weekend. There are around 200 villagers in attendance whereas the average is usually around 120-150 per camp. From that, the ophthalmologists usually identify 20 candidates for the cataract surgery. Today, 24 people are eligible.
Due to the ophthalmologists schedule this weekend, the eye camp is combined with the surgeries. The staff and technicians finish the camp around 3 pm and the doctors begin the operations at 4 pm, finishing around 10 pm in the night. Dinner is ready for them as they finish. Then they are driven back to Varanasi, where they reach their homes around midnight. This service was their Saturday.
Before the villagers leave, each is given a photo of Mataji and a packet of biscuits. What I love about India is that no one ever leaves a program without a material exchange reflecting the giving of one heart to another. It is a gift to be a part of this beautiful process.
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