Osotspa joins with Banphaeo Hospital to provide free surgeries to give sight back to patients with cataracts
Osotspa Public Company Limited has joined together with Banphaeo Hospital to give senior citizens and the underprivileged in remote areas who needed cataract surgery their sight back so they can resume living normal lives, an initiative that reflects the company’s goal of enhancing life of all Thais.
Many senior citizens living in remote areas of Thailand suffer from cataracts, resulting in blurred or hazy vision that makes their lives much more difficult and may lead to blindness if untreated. The percentage of Thais affected by blindness due to untreated cataracts and glaucoma stands at 51% and 9.8% respectively, even though these forms of visual impairment are curable with the appropriate treatment.
In response, Osotspa Public Company Limited is supporting a medical project in which Banphaeo Hospital staff provide cataract surgery through a mobile unit. For more than 14 years, the hospital has supported 50 ophthalmologists and medical staff who perform cataract surgeries in the mobile unit, offering convenient access to cataract patients who live in remote areas nationwide and in neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Bhutan, and Myanmar. The project aims to give patients their eyesight back, restoring their ability to live normal and independent lives.
Dr. Patsaran Thanasuphan, Director of the Eye and Cataract Excellence Center, BanphaeoHospital, said, “Staff volunteer to work in the mobile eye surgical unit during their days off. We regularly deal with patients with severe symptoms that can cause blindness in both eyes. Some patients have been living in darkness for a long time, but just one day after surgery, their sight is restored. You have no idea how overjoyed they are to have their vision back. Cataract surgery not only changes the lives of patients, but of those around them. It allows patients to have normal and independent lives again and gives everyone around them peace of mind and more spare time. As the project can only handle a limited number of patients, those with severe symptoms are selected for surgery first, while others with less-severe symptoms must wait for subsequent rounds. This partnership with the private sector offers crucial medical treatment that improves their quality of life to more patients.”
Mrs. Wannipa Bhakdibutr, President of Osotspa Public Company Limited, said, “Osotspa operates under the principle of ‘prosperity from charity.’ We have always understood the importance of improving the quality of life of all Thais and continuously support those with physical disabilities so they can lead normal lives. To mark the company’s 127-year anniversary and our listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), we are continuing our commitment to giving by supporting the cataract surgery mobile eye surgical unit project, which aims to provide life-changing cataract surgery for 127 disadvantaged residents in provinces including Chachoengsao, Chonburi, and Nakhon Ratchasima, to enhance their lives. This is a very meaningful initiative that supports those most in need who are affected by visual impairment so they can get their lives back. It also encourages and validates the important work being done by the staff at the Eye and Cataract Center at Banphaeo Hospital who volunteer their time to visit different parts of the country for this important mission. I commend them for their unwavering commitment and contribution to their patients.”
Sixty-eight year-old Thongchai Jirakitmonkol from Bangklao District in Chachoengsao said, “Before having the cataracts removed, my vision was hazy and I could not see very far. Just like a night of crescent moon, it is bright, but in short distance. As a result, I found it hard to walk confidently and couldn’t read letters due to my poor eyesight. This also affected everyone in my family. I was worried that I could fall or trip and end up injured or even paralyzed. You cannot imagine how badly cataracts can affect your vision. Having them removed has given me my life back while providing a huge sense of relief to everyone around me and bringing happiness to my family.”
Sixty-two year-old Thongsuk Charoenwan from Phanom Sarakham District in Chachoengsao said, “Before I decided to have my eyes checked by the doctor, I had blurry and hazy vision and couldn’t see objects clearly. I felt like I was walking on uneven ground and often got bruised from bumping into doors. I’m so glad I learned about this project, which was initiated to help people with visual impairment get their eyesight back at no cost. To be honest, I would not have been able to afford the treatment on my own.”
Providing medical care for cataract patients gives them back their lives and their happiness which, in turn, improves the quality of life of their family.
