Underprivileged tot recipient of free eye surgery

The HCMC Sponsoring Association for Poor Patients held a ceremony on Saturday to mark the 200,000th free eye surgery for the underprivileged, visually impaired in the past eight years.
This program has spent more than VND100 billion (US$6.3 million) eliminating blindness in 33 provinces and cities nationwide, including areas of the northwest, central highlands and southwest, said Nguyen Vinh Nghiep, chairman of the association.

They have also completed more than 3,000 procedures for the underprivileged, visually impaired in Laos and Cambodia.

Next year, the association hopes to treat 50,000 people nationwide, a plan requiring VND25 billion (US$1.6 million).

At the ceremony, about VND30 billion (US$1.9 million) was raised, including VND10 billion (US$628,000) for wheelchairs.