ORBIS, CEH open eye surgery camp for Rohingya children

Chittagong Eye Hospital (CEH) has launched a surgical and eye care programme for the Rohingya children sheltered in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

With the help of ORBIS International under the project of Qatar Creating Vision (QCV) Expanding Eye Care and the supervision of Cox's Bazaar Baitush Sharaf the programme was launched on December 9.

Over the last three days till Tuesday (today) they have provided surgical operation to nine Rohingya children along with all necessary medicines and relevant services, a statement of the Chittagong Eye Hospital in the city said today.

Rohingya baby Mohammad Sohail received eye injury while playing with a top in a camp in Cox's Bazaar. The Eye Hospital launched eye care services through conducting surgical treatment to his eyes.

Although the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazaar have hospitals in and around with eye care facilities, they do not have any eye surgery facility, which prompted Chittagong Eye Hospital to come forward in aid of Rohingya children having eye problems.

Dr Nasimul Gani Chowdhury and Dr Merajul Islam of Chittagong Eye Hospital are conducting regular surgical operation to the children in the hospital, the statement said.

Prior to launching the services ORBIS conducted surveys on the eye patients at different Rohingya camps including Balukhali Camp at Ukhiya of Cox's Bazaar. Then the children identified with eye problems were sent to Cox's Bazaar Baitush Sharaf Hospital. Later, they were brought to Chittagong Eye Hospital for treatment. The programme will continue, the statement said.

ORBIS International, a global support services organisation, have so far examined eye problems, provided medicines and spectacles and conducted eye operations on 20,000 Rohingya children sheltered in Bangladeshi camps and 10,000 local people.

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