Staff Correspondent:
With support from volunteer organization Noyon Foundation, non-governmental organization Orbis International has successfully arranged cataract surgery for 172 tea workers in Sylhet. The workers underwent vision correction free of cost following a two-tier survey in different tea gardens.The workers said they were able to see better and were ecstatic after the vision correction.Organizers said they conducted eye check-ups for 81 workers of Malnicherra tea estate and another 89 from Lakkatur. Later, all 172 workers underwent retinal eye surgery which improved their vision.
Dr AH Enayet Hossain, vice chancellor of Sylhet Medical University, who is also the representative of the Bangladesh chapter of Orbis International, said that Orbis started its journey in Bangladesh in 1985 when the Flying Eye Hospital first touched down here. Since then, Orbis has worked with local partners to focus on eye disease prevention and sight restoration for women, children, and marginalized communities in remote rural areas of Bangladesh. He said he was trained by the first batch of Orbis medics, who arrived in Bangladesh and ever since he has been with the organization.Orbis International Bangladesh Country Director Dr Munir Ahmed said that blindness is a common phenomenon in the rural areas of Bangladesh. Almost 80% of people with blindness live in the rural areas. He said that the tea workers are deprived of various forms of medical care and thus Orbis is working to improve their vision conditions. Sabbir Ahmed, chairman of Noyon Foundation, said that similar campaigns will be undertaken in other tea gardens as well. He said that his foundation will extend all-out support to Orbis in this regard.Orbis and Noyon Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding to continue their efforts to bring better vision to tea workers in Sylhet.The MoU was signed at a program organized at the Malnicherra tea estate, where the chief guest was Dr Ragib Ali, owner of the estate. Addressing the program, Ragib Ali said that it is tough working with the tea workers which the two organizations have done successfully. It was a challenge to improve the vision of these workers. He said that he and his staff members extended their support to the cause.

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