MAGIC CAMP

India has greatest number of blind people in the world, about 19 million blind live in India. Nearly eighty percent of which live in rural and slum areas. Unfortunately this number is increasing every day. The problem is severe in rural India particularly in senior citizens. Since the last 27 years, Dr Tatyarao Lahane with his small team of doctors has been conducting free Cataract operation camps and ophthalmic surgeries in rural Maharashtra. Here, Dr Lahane and his associate Dr Ragini Parekh operate on almost 125 - 130 patients respectively each day on an average. The camp is usually for 4 to 5 days consisting 2 days of OPD and 2 - 3 days for the operations. Almost all the patients are from the below poverty line strata. Mostly farmers, shepherds and tribals. They come with the hope to be cured and to see their vision improve. The operation is free of charge for all the patients. The biggest challenge is reaching out to the tribals, who are orthodox and very superstitious. These people are not only rejected by their relatives but also ostracised by their society. Thanks to a few successful surgeries, winning the trust of these tribal was made simpler. People in the rural areas now consider Dr Lahane as the ‘Hand of God’. They feel he has ‘magical powers’ and even his touch can cure their visual impairment. It’s like a ‘Dream come true’. He has effectively channeled the right manpower and resources to reach out to rural patients who were previously ignored.