Tibetans are genuinely happy to clap eyes on the Health Express,
a hospital train sponsored by Hong Kong donors which has provided
free medical surgery to 636 cataract sufferers in the region.
"Health Express has given me my sight back, I am truly
grateful," said Bianqiong, a 60-year-old farmer from Xigaze.
He began to suffer from cataract in the right eye three years
ago. His worsening eyesight meant that he often stumbled and fell
and found it very difficult to continue farming.
He first tried going to a local hospital but was too poor to
afford surgery. He then turned to eye drops that proved to be of
little use.
Health Express not only gave him free treatment, but also
covered his board and travel expenses, the farmer said.
"It is the first time Health Express has come to Tibet. It is an important charity event that
marks the 10th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to the
motherland," said Degyi, vice chairwoman of the Tibetan Autonomous
Region, on Monday while joining Health Express doctors to visit
patients.
Gao Hucheng, vice minister of commerce, said "I hope that Health
Express will not only restore their sight to Tibetan patients, but
also prompt the flow of more aid into Tibet."
One of the three Health Express trains that take oculists across
the country began receiving cataract patients on June 15 in Lhasa,
and plans to offer free medical surgery for 1,000 sufferers by July
30.
The "Health Express" is sponsored by Hong Kong donors, who
funded three such trains in 1997, 1999 and 2002, and have helped
more than 60,000 cataract patients regain their sight since
1997.
China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation donated 30 million HK
dollars on June 23 for the fourth train that will operate next
year.
Remote areas, especially those at high altitudes with cold air,
low oxygen levels and strong ultraviolet light, have a high
incidence of cataract, a condition in which the lens of the eye
becomes cloudy and can lead to blindness.
Cataract surgery costs patients more than 5,000 yuan (nearly
US$660) in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, a sum out of the
reach of people in underdeveloped regions, Dong said.
Tibet has offered free cataract surgery for more than 5,000
people every year since 2005. But despite the efforts of volunteer
doctors from across the country and the world, Tibet still has the
highest incidence of cataract in the country, according to a 2002
government report.
(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2007)