Some members and friends may remember the year I was District 9940 District Governor (2001-2002). I had a project to raise funds to support the Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital in Bhopal, India.
Prior to taking over as D.G., it was usual for the Governor’s wife (it was always a male D.G. back in the dark ages) to have a project to raise funds for. Usually the total raised was less than NZ$10,000. Lynne suggested that I was going to be D.G. so why should she have the project. I agreed to do it together, and decided that we wanted to raise some serious money and if possible get a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant. But we both agreed that it would be necessary to personally see the project if I was going to “sell it” to Rotarians.
The project needed to be in a Country where:
- English was spoken
- There was good infrastructure
- Rotary was active in the region.
After some research we decided on Eye surgery in India. I made contact with a very senior Rotarian (in my opinion in those days) in New Delhi, who was the Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator for all India. His name was Dr. R.M. Bhat.
Lynne and I travelled to India and spent a week with R.M. showing us numerous medical facilities which were funded by charities. Some were funded by Rotary, and others funded by wealthy Indian families – some living in India and others overseas. We covered a large geographic area that required flying within the country.
We finally selected the Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital in Bhopal, which was established in 1987. This was the city of the disastrous Union Carbide accident that killed thousands of residents (although official records state the numbers were much fewer). The gas also affected the health of many, including eye damage.
When we returned from the trip that could only be described as a fantastic experience meeting such caring people, I promoted the project to each of the 64 Rotary Clubs that I visited.
I sold it on the basis that if each Rotarian and their partner did not go to a restaurant for one night, and instead had a can of Baked Beans, and donated the saving to our project, the amount plus a subsidy from The Rotary Foundation and World Health Organisation would fund one cataract sugery.
The response was fantastic. Over US$100,000 was raised for our project.
Two years later our son Mark and I returned to Bhopal to see progress and to also attend a National Polio Immunisation Day – when 172 million children received the drops on that day. Yes, 172 million. It is hard to comprehend such numbers. One could only describe the experience as very humbling. It was well worth using our Airpoints to do both trips.
The statistical progress for the Eradication of Blindness Programme at the Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital (and the neighbouring hospital call Indira-Hotchand Lalwani Charitable Hospital that was donated by a family but run by Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital) since 1987 is:
Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital:
- Outpatients 1,287, 328
- Free 515,701
- Paid 771 627
- Operations performed 250,346
- Free 179,676
- Paid 70,670
Indira-Hotchand Lalwani Charitable Hospital:
- Total patients 662,776
- Outpatients 483,100
- Eye Operations 179,676
The majority of these operations are for cataract surgery but 1,662 were for Keratoplasty.
Keratoplasty is a procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue from a recently deceased person. If you would like more details on Keratoplasty, don’t ask me, ask Dr. Colin Fenton!
On a sad note, while I had regular contact with my Rotary Friend Dr. R.M. Bhat for several years, when I was appointed to the position for Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator covering New Zealand, Eastern Australia and nine other countries, I tried to let R.M. know by news, but received no reply. I finally found out that he had passed away earlier that year.
What a fantastic opportunity Lynne, Mark and I had and what a difference the Rotarians of District 9940 made to people far less fortunate than us.