Druk Gawa Khilwa Abbey

The first Eye Camp for us will happen during His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa's western birthday celebration in March 2010. This will be a collaborated effort between Tilganga Eye Center (www.tilganga.org) and Druk White Lotus Clinic.

NOTE: As of 23rd Feb 2010, the eve of His Holiness's lunar birthday, all 200 cataract surgeries have been fully sponsored. A BIG THANK YOU to all the sponsors!

The Eye Camp will be organized in such a way that poor and needy people living in and around Kathmandu valley will be screened and assessed for suitability for eye treatment, and those needing treatment will then be listed to undergo specialist surgery for the removal of cataracts. The surgery will be performed by the specialist’s from Tilganga, however the facilities, support, accommodation and meals will be provided by the Druk White Lotus Clinic.

A couple of weeks ago, we sent a group of the Druk White Lotus Clinic nuns and some nuns from the Druk Amitabha Mountain Office to participate in a clinic that was being held at the Pullahari Monastery. The few selected nuns who are presently responsible for the organization and logistics at the clinic here went along to get some experience and understanding in the planning and organisational aspects. Click here for more photos about their recent training.

We are now raising funds for the surgical expenses of 200 eye patients. Each surgery, including check-ups, accommodation and food during hospitalization, will cost around US$280. Compared to a straight-forward cataract surgery in the United States which cost around US$3,363 (see source), this cost is extremely affordable for many in the developed countries, however still not affordable for many of the local people here.

We hope that we are able to fulfill this mission and His Holiness's wishes to eradicate the suffering of those with the risks of going blind, yet without the financial means to prevent it.

As His Holiness said in his website, " I really want to dedicate my life to save those people who are going to be blind any days." He also said,"Our pair of eyes are one of the most important organs in the body. What can you do without eyes? You cannot do anything. As you all know, Live to Love has to be practised all the time, not only once in a while, but also all the time, without wasting even one minute, because life is so precious and yet it is unfortunately so short. Without eyes, it can be very difficult to practise and to benefit others. You can just imagine how important eyes are to you. If you contemplate from time to time, you will know and undersatnd the importance of eyes and the importance of not losing eyes."

We thank all the sponsors for supporting such a good cause!