In line with Lions Club International’s SightFirst program to prevent blindness, the Lions Club of Byculla assisted the RNC Free Eye Hospital in Valsad with a "biomedix ophthalmic ultrasound system” costing Rs 6,27,000 to aid in the detection of potential problems with vision. Imported from the USA, the equipment is designed to give "a complete profile of how the eye will behave… if it will have any deficiency or disease in the coming years,” according to Capt Percy Master, who with other Club members raised the funds from Dhun Pestonji Parakh Discretionary Fund to gift the Hospital.
Capt Percy Master (center, in jacket) and Bharat Desai (sixth from right) with Club members
"Twenty-four club members travelled to Valsad… The machine will benefit both residents of Valsad as well as villages around the town,” noted a write-up from Master. Members were shown around the Hospital by their managing trustee Bharat Desai, added Master. Three days, June 15 to 17, were marked as "SightFirst, World Wide” by the international Club.
The cosmopolitan Hospital was founded in 1920 by Khanbahadur Dadabhai Ratanji Balsara (Chavsarewala) and is known for its specialization in the diagnosis and management of complex medical eye disorders. The 11-member board of trustees includes Dr Pesi Fulwadiwala and Noshir Zaroliwala, who also serve on the Hospital’s executive committee, according to their website. Master stated that the Hospital has a capacity to house about 81 indoor patients and services nearly 400 outdoor patients daily.