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Helping the World To See - America's Dr. Raju treats underprivileged in developing nations (2002)

Eye Foundation of America
http://www.eyefoundationofamerica.org/details.php?id=10

[Morgantown, West Virginia]- Ophthalmologists in rural areas of developing countries are about as rare as the spotting of a Bengal Tiger. Just as the roar of a tiger announcing his presence charges the Jungle with excitement, so it is with Dr. V. K. Raju, a 59-year old Indian-born and board certified Ophthalmologist, who provides healthcare for the underprivileged of the world. In 1979 he established the Eye Foundation of America to help ensure adequate treatment of eye diseases. In the United States, Dr. Raju’s chosen homeland, he operates Monongalia Eye Clinic in Morgantown, West Virginia and is a clinical professor at West Virginia University.

From his West Virginia base Dr. Raju conducts approximately 25 Corneal Transplants annually; 300 to 400 cataract surgeries; and handles 7000 to 8000 patient visits. But, it’s his benevolent hobby that separates him from the pack. Raju has performed over 15,000 volunteer operations in India and restored vision (74% were non-paid) in his spare time. For the past two decades, he has assembled medical teams to trek to developing countries to treat patients in mobile "eye camps" or clinics. Raju’s “camps” are funded through donations by philanthropists, and American pharmaceutical companies. Physicians donate their services without receiving fees. Dr. Raju estimates that he has spent over a half-million-dollars plus, in sophisticated equipment, with the objective of providing world -class eye care to the needy.

After reaching the highest level of training available through the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh on London, Raju knew that the United States held great opportunities. When he came to West Virginia in 1977 patients were forced to leave the area for corneal transplants. Raju knew that he could offer the area his expertise in intra-ocular implants and other more common surgeries such as cataract. However, Raju says he felt a dual-responsibility to establish eye clinics in the land of the less fortunate that he left behind.

In the United States where patients wear colored contact lenses for vanity; select from a plethora of fashion-frames, and receive eye-tucks for youthful appeal, availability for general eye care is taken for granted. Another drastic difference, Raju explains, is the median age of patients in the United States compared to India. In America, for cataract surgery, the average patient age is 70; but in India and developing nations, Dr. Raju says that he performs cataract surgery on many more children, due to such causes as infection, vitamin deficiencies and birth defects. Dr. Raju points out, “Here, I realize that if I do not perform a surgery, it’s probably because the patient is seeking another surgeon or getting the procedure done at a later date. In rural India, if I don't perform the surgery, I know in my heart that a person, possibly a child, may live a life of blindness.”

Such was the case with an 8-month old baby in Vijayawada or the "City of Victory" as it literally translates. It was there that Dr. Raju celebrated a victory of his own ------- giving an infant the lifelong gift of sight. The year was 1980, and Raju used the state-of-the-art Ocutome, an instrument that mechanically sucks out cataracts through a small incision in the eye, to perform the delicate surgery. Had the operation not been successfully executed, the baby would have been totally blind within a year. The Rotary Club of Vijayawada hosted Raju’s camp, where he reportedly restored sight to over 175 impoverished patients.

Raju volunteers in India two to three times a year. He journeyed back to his native land In 1984 during the wake of the of the Union Carbide chemical spill in Bhopal. Initially, Raju feared the tragedy would leave many people with eye irritations or permanently blind. Though the toxic catastrophe contributed to some 3,800 deaths, Raju noted that there was no lasting eye injury for most of the surviving victims.

In 1993 he and his childhood friend, Chandra Sankurathri, established the Srikiran Institute of Ophthalmology, in Kakinada, which is in Andhra Pradesh, South India. Under Raju’s tutelage over 200 ophthalmologists have been trained in advanced courses. Staff members, ophthalmologists and general physicians are introduced to the latest developments in Ophthalmology and eye care. The Institute has provided service to more than 400,000 patients and 50,000 surgeries have been performed.

A Good Samaritan, Raju applauds the gallantry of physicians, fire fighters, and the various industry professionals who pulled together during the terrorist’s attacks on the World Trade Center. And, while admittedly, the culture in various lands differ greatly from that in the United States, Raju feels that sharing ones gift with mankind is a universal duty. In addition to spending all vacations giving service in India, Raju has also traveled to Africa, Asia, and other countries. He donates the surgical fees that he receives from refractive surgery to The Eye Foundation of America. Some of the funds go to organizations in America such as eye banks, and to aid groups as diverse as the American Navajo Indians and the World Trade Center victims.

Copyright © 2002. All rights reserved.