In support of the efforts taken to offer medical care in rural areas, Madras Round Table 1 will sponsor a medical camp in which about 90 cataract surgeries will be performed in a mobile eye surgical unity for Sankara Nethralaya.
Handing over a cheque of `6.5 lakh on behalf of MRT 1 on Wednesday, actor Arvind Swamy recalled his long association with the eye hospital and assured a continuance of his support to the hospital’s initiative. “I have been associated with this hospital since my childhood. It was father who ideated this institution and I used to come to this place even before the buildings came up,” Arvind Swamy said.
Appreciating the efforts of the hospital to reach people who could not afford to take a trip to Chennai and utilise the facilities, the actor added that a camp of this sort would be set up every year. Manu Wassan, chairman, Madras Round Table 1 said that they had sponsored about 55 cataract surgeries at the hospital last year. “This year, we thought we could do much more. So we decided to sponsor treatment for one week where close to 90 surgeries will be done,” he said.
The mobile eye surgical unit, set up by Sankara Nethralaya and IIT-Madras, has conducted over 800 surgeries since December 14, 2011. The camp sponsored by MRT1 will be held at Alangayam village in Vellore district between June 23 and April 1, 2014.