Colombo – IOM has donated medical equipment for diagnosis and surgical care of eye ailments valued at USD 93,500 to eye care units of hospitals in six districts in Southern and Eastern Sri Lanka.

The equipment was handed over to the First Lady of Sri Lanka, Mrs. Shiranthi Rajapakse by IOM Chief of Mission Christopher Gascon at the Colombo residence of the President.

The handover marked the end of IOM's Eye Care Programme, funded by the Australian Red Cross and launched in six tsunami-affected districts - Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Ampara and Batticaloa - in January 2006.

Over the past year IOM Eye Camps screened over 100,000 people for sight problems. More than 80,000 were provided with spectacles and around 6,000 were referred to national hospitals for further evaluation and treatment including cataract surgery and implants.

IOM also provided more than 300 intraocular lenses for those who underwent surgery.

To ensure the sustainability of the programme, over 600 local health workers including primary eye care workers, ophthalmologic nurses and operation theatre personnel were trained in early detection and handling of eye ailments, maintaining and sterilizing surgical equipment and assisting in cataract surgery.

Prior to this, IOM also donated eye care equipment valued at USD 32,000 to eye care units in Kalmunai on the East coast and Kalutara, south of Colombo, bringing the total contribution of medical equipment to USD125,500.

"The project has been a success and has brought a very tangible benefit to many people," said Barry Armstrong, Country Coordinator of the Australian Red Cross Recovery Programme in Sri Lanka.

"Through these actions lives were touched. Restoring sight provides an opportunity to restart livelihoods and to return to daily tasks that many of us take for granted, such as reading newspapers," he added.

Audiological screening and provision of hearing aids, dental clinics, general medical check-ups and awareness campaigns on communicable diseases such as dengue and HIV/AIDS were also held in conjunction with the eye camps.

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For further information please contact: Passanna Gunasekera, IOM Sri Lanka, Tel: +94 11 5333432 ext 213, E-mail: pgunasekera@iomsrilanka.org