Humanitarian Evacuation of two young eye patients from Ladakh to Hyderabad

During the July 2010 dental/medical expedition to Nubra Valley, ophthalmic surgeons Dr Pauline Cheong and Dr Ranjana Mathur diagnosed two young patients who required more sophisticated surgical procedures than were feasible with the limited facilities of the Disket Hospital. The original plan was to then host the distinguished ophthalmic surgeon, Dr Ramesh Murthy, of the world renowned Axis Eye Hospital in Hyderabad, India to fly to Ladakh along with the necessary sophisticated equipment to enable him to perform those complex surgical procedures. Unfortunately, before that “second phase” humanitarian mission could unfold, the devastating floods that ravaged most of Ladakh struck and made Dr. Murthy’s follow-up surgical mission impossible.

Therefore we have decided to send the two most urgent cases along with their parents from Ladakh to Hyderabad India so that Dr. Murthy can perform the necessary surgeries in his state-of-art medical facility. On September 22, 2010, all five in the party flew from Leh to Delhi and on to Hyderabad where they now await treatment from Dr. Murthy.

A special gratitude must be extended to Dr. Pauline Cheong and Dr Ranjana Mathur who secured the necessary intraocular lens for young Rinchen Dolma’s surgery and then arranged to have them sent to India for Dr. Murthy to implant. Without their generous efforts as well as the indispensable contributions of Dr. Ramesh Murthy, these two children might very well have lost their sight permanently.

Young eye patient Imrahim Hajmi in the arms of her mother Mrs Zenab Khatoon and her father Mr Ibrahim Hajmi join Mr. Tashi Norboo and his 3 year old daughter Rinchen Dolma in New Delhi airport on their way to Hyderabad for surgical treatment from Dr. Ramesh Murthy at the Axis Eye Foundation.

http://www.axiseyefoundation.com

Eye Surgery Mission Update:

October 3, 2010

Dr Ramesh Murthy in his office at the Axis Eye Foundation in Hyderabad with Mrs. Zenab Khatoon and her daughter Imrahim Hajmi as well as Mr Tashi Norboo and his daughter Rinchen Dolma

We are delighted to know that our second eye surgery mission to Hyderabad has been completed successfully. Dr. Ramesh Murthy skillfully performed the three necessary surgical procedures and is very pleased with the results. Young Rinchen Dolma received two new lens implants to correct her congenital cataract condition and infant Imrahim Hajmi had her strabismus alignment problem corrected.

Our warmest gratitudes, admirations and respect go out to Dr. Ramesh Murthy for his sight restoring skills and compassionate heart which will enable these two young people to enjoy a productive lifetime rather than the impossibility of proper medical care which they previously faced.