‘Free your eyes’ charity fund brings sight to patients

Hà Nội-based Đông Đô Hospital's doctors perform free eye surgery for children in difficult circumstances on May 14. — Photo courtesy of the hospital

HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội-based Đông Đô Hospital's doctors performed free eye surgery for two children in difficult circumstances on May 14.

The surgery is part of the hospital's summer campaign to provide free eyes checkup and treatment to patients with eye problems due to COVID-19.

All eye checkups and treatment costs will be covered by the hospital's “Free your eyes” charity fund, which was launched on the same day to bring sight to poor patients in tough circumstances in Việt Nam.

The first case Ninh Thị Tường Vy, seven years old, in Yên Lạc Commune, Phú Lương District, Thái Nguyên Province, with a crossed eye disease. Her mother left when she was more than one month old, while her father works far away and rarely comes back.

Vy and her sister were raised and cared for by their grandmother. She is now old, suffering from many illnesses. Her family is a poor household in the commune.

The second case is Bùi Thúy Nga, four years old, in Tuyên Quang Province, with a conjunctiva tumour in the right eye. Her father is a worker, and her mother is a teacher.

Her parents discovered Nga’s eye tumour two years ago but could not afford to go to the doctor. The tumour is now quite large, encroaching on the baby’s right pupil.

The director of the hospital's High-Tech Eye Centre, Đinh Phương Thủy, said that the fund would focus on children and the elderly, especially the elderly living alone or older people with difficult circumstances.

"All patients of difficult circumstances, children or the elderly with indications for eye surgery, will be provided free eye checkups and surgery. The fund will cover 100 per cent of surgery costs. Patients and their family members will be arranged to stay at the hospital," said Thủy.

"In Việt Nam, there are currently about two million people who are blind and have low vision. One-third are poor people or living in difficult circumstances. That's why we established a charity fund to help poor children and the elderly.” — VNS