Giving the Hopeless, a New Hope of Vision – A Story about Successful Vision Restoration of 99-year-old Fula Nanda through Advanced Phaco Emulsification Surgery
Fula Nanda, a resident of Talgaon Panchayat, Jamda block, Mayurbhanj, having no husband and no child to look after her, was living a very distressed life due to poor vision.
Desperate age-old conditions combined with bad eyesight forced Fula to get dependent on relatives for all her basic works. When there is no one at home, she often seeks help from her neighbours for doing daily chores like toilet, bathing, cooking food, cleaning clothes and etc.
Life had become a curse for her as she had become a burden on her near and dears.
With no more positive hope left in Fula’s life, she was just helplessly awaiting death at the age of 99.
One day, a close relative of Fula got to know about an eye screening camp happening in their village. Being a well-wisher, he convinced Fula and brought her to the camp venue for a quick eye check-up.
The eye screening camp was organized by Mahatma Gandhi Eye Hospital & Research Institute in collaboration with SightSavers India. The Primary objective of conducting such outreach camps is to identify the rural populace who are affected by cataracts and mobilize them to base hospitals for immediate surgery.
An experienced team consisting of an Ophthalmic Assistant, ANM, and Counselor, attends to all the visitors who arrive at the screening camp and thoroughly examines each and every person’s vision. Anyone, who is identified with cataracts, be it male or female, is being brought to MGEHRI’s base hospital at Rangamatia, for free cataract surgery done by expert ophthalmic surgeons.
Fula Nanda visited the eye screening camp held at Talgaon GP Office with her grand-nephew on dt. 07.02.2023. Both her eyes were thoroughly checked and she was detected with matured cataract in her left eye. (Visual Acuity – PL+ve )
Being a ration card holder, Fula’s health treatment is fully covered under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (State Sponsored Health Insurance Scheme). So she need not have to bear a single penny.
When Fula was informed that she shall successfully regain her vision post-surgery and that too at ZERO cost, for a moment she breathed some leap of HOPE again.
With her consent, she along with 27 other cataract patients from Talgaon panchayat, were transported to MGEHRI’s base campus by hospital bus on the same day.
The very next day i.e. 08.02.2023, Fula Nanda underwent cataract surgery through an advanced Phaco-Emulsification procedure. The cataract that has formed over her lens was removed and a foldable Intra-Ocular Lens was inserted. This minimally invasive operation was done by a renowned ophthalmologist – Dr Shipra Rani Paul, who has an experience of around 30 years in ophthalmic surgeries.
The surgery was successful and no complications were recorded. Fula was very happy post the surgery and was recommended to rest under observation for 24 hours. After one day of hospital stay at Rangamatia, Fula Nanda got discharged with a visual acuity of 6/60.
She wholeheartedly thanked all the staff of MGEHRI for restoring her vision. Now she can cook her food, clean her clothes, and go to the toilet on her own. She does not have to rely on others for doing her basic chores at least. Well, for a 99-year-old lady, what can be more liberating than this sense of independency!!
Finally, with a joyful smile and heartfelt gratitude, she boarded the hospital bus along with other patients and was transported back to her village with utmost safety & care.
