- Successful operation of congenital cataract done in the district hospital
A new dawn of happiness has now dawned in the life of nine-year-old Lalit Maurya of Bastar. Lalit, a resident of Parali village, under the Gram Panchayat Nadisagar, under the Bastar district’s development block, had been suffering from a serious problem like cataract since birth. Due to this congenital disorder, he was completely unable to see the beauty of the world and his childhood was spent in the shadow of darkness. Although Lalit’s cataract had been identified earlier, but due to fear and doubt about the surgery, his family was not ready for the operation.
Lalit’s journey towards light began on March 20th at a Disability Empowerment Camp held at the Bastar Community Health Center, where he had come to obtain a disability certificate. Organized at this special camp, initiated by Collector Mr. Akash Chhikara, eye specialists assessed Lalit’s condition during a health check-up. Palari’s Ophthalmology Assistant Officer, Mr. Anil Netam, demonstrated exceptional proactiveness and explained the importance of the operation to his family. His tireless efforts and constant persuasion ultimately led to the family agreeing to the surgery, after which Lalit was immediately referred to the district hospital for better treatment.
Following the specific guidelines of Bastar Collector Mr. Akash Chhikara, the Health Department acted swiftly and prioritized this case. With the efficient coordination of the Chief Minister’s Special Health Services Scheme and the district administration, Lalit’s cataract operation was successfully performed by Dr. Sarita Thomas at the District Maharani Hospital, Jagdalpur, on March 24th. Under the guidance of Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr. Sanjay Basak, Civil Surgeon Dr. Sanjay Prasad, and District Program Manager Kumari Reena Lakshmi, the medical team performed this challenging surgery.
Ophthalmic Assistant Officer Kumari Divya Pandey, Mr. Sunkar Amrit Rao, Mr. Devkaran Vyas, along with Ward Incharge Mrs. Annapurna Sahu and Staff Nurses Mrs. Smriti Kachchh and Namita Maurya, played a significant role in this noble endeavor. Furthermore, the activeness of Mr. Doleshwar Joshi, assistant in the operating theater, facilitated the entire process. After the operation, when the blindfold was removed from Lalit’s eyes, the glow on his face made the entire medical team’s efforts worthwhile. Now Lalit is not only able to see the world with his own eyes, but he is also clearly recognizing his family and surrounding objects. This sensitivity of the district administration and health department has dispelled darkness from the life of an innocent child and lit a lamp of hope in a family’s home.