China and Myanmar to build eye medical center

The signing ceremony on building the eye medical center is held in Yangon, Myanmar, May 15. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

YANGON, Myanmar - China and Myanmar will jointly build an eye medical center in the next five years. The center will offer free surgery to at least 1,000 cataract patients in Myanmar each year, according to the China Foundation for Peace and Development (CFPD).

The corporation agreement was signed between CFPD and Myanmar's Union Solidarity and Development Association at the Myodaw Medical Center in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, on May 15.

The signing ceremony came after 361 patients in Myanmar suffering from cataracts received free surgery from Chinese doctors, from May 8 to 14.

The procedures were provided by six Chinese ophthalmologists from the First People's Hospital of Yunnan province. It was the second time they were sponsored by CFPD to perform free surgery on Myanmar patients.

Xu Zhensui, CFPD's secretary-general, said the medical aid program started in 2011, when the organization sponsored 248 cataract patients in Myanmar to receive free surgery from a Chinese medical team.

In addition to providing free surgery this year, Xu said, building the China-Myanmar Eye Treatment Center will have more long-term effects.

While the Chinese side will provide equipment, funding, medicine and training experts in the next five years, Myanmar will provide free surgery for at least 1,000 cataract patients every year, according to Bai Wei, CFPD's vice-secretary.

According to Myanmar's Ministry of Health, there are about 220,000 cataract patients in Myanmar, but many cannot afford the surgery.

By establishing the eye treatment center, CFPD is hoping to help 5 to 7 percent of the patients in Myanmar each year, Bai Wei said.

The first exchange will take place in July, when several ophthalmologists from Myanmar will receive training sessions at First People's Hospital of Yunnan province, according to CFPD.

The medical aid was part of the 2012 China-Myanmar Brotherhood Tour organized by the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) and CFPD.