Tag: eye camp

India’s free ‘Eye Camp’ visited by more than five hundred within three days

As part of India- Maldives ‘Dosti-Ekuverikan’ friendship week (20 – 26 January) the High Commission of India has conducted a free ‘Eye Camp’ providing free consultation and services for more than 500 people in Male’ and Hulhumale’.

The ‘Eye Camp’ was inaugurated by Indian High Commissioner Rajeev Shahare at Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) on 24 January.

The three day camp, where a specialist ophthalmic team will examine and provide free spectacles for those who require it, was held at IGMH on 24, 25 January and will continue at Hulhumale’ Hospital on 25 and 26 January.

According to the HCI at least 284 were served at the IGMH camp within two days. The camp in Hulhumale began today at 1430hrs and continued till 1600hrs serving 105 people from more than 250 registered for consultation. The specialist team will continue examining tomorrow from 0900am till 2100am at Hulhumale’ hospital.

The Indian team of ophthalmic specialists from ASG Eye Hospitals, Rajasthan, India consists of three senior ophthalmologists Dr Arun Singhvi, M.D., Dr Shashank Gang, M.D. and Dr Kundan Kumar Singh and Mr Manoj Sharma,ophthalmology technician.

Two ophthalmic surgeons from ASG Eye Hospitals; Dr Arun Singhvi, M.D., Dr Shashank Gang, M.D. and a senior ophthalmologist Dr Kundan Kumar Singh – all trained at the All India institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Dr Singhvi and Dr Shashank are LASIK surgeons.

While the team came prepared for free eye surgeries as well, surgeries will not be conducted due to lack of necessary equipment. HCI says the patients who require to get or renew spectacles will received those from India within two weeks. The High Commission plans to hold a similar eye camp after a month.

The ‘Dosti-Ekuverikan’ week events also include a yoga workshop in Male’, and a blood donation camp where more than one hundred people donated blood to the National Centre for Thalassemia.

In addition to this, cultural activities – including food, music and film festivals and a National Art Competition for school children- were also held as part of celebrations. The closing ceremony for the week will be held tomorrow, coinciding with the Republic Day of India.

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Salaf calls on government to offer military training to citizens “before Jews take over the country”

Religious NGO Jamiyyathusalaf has called on the government to “provide military training to all Muslim Maldivians and familiarise citizens with the use of modern weaponry” before “Jews take over the country”, days before a controversial visit by a team of Isreali surgeons to offer free-of-charge eye camps in Male’, Gaaf Dhaal Thinadhoo and Addu Atoll Hithadhoo.

A statement on Salaf’s website claims that “Maldivians would not accept under any circumstances extremist Jewish organisations from Israel, which ignores UN resolutions in brutalising Muslims, exerting influence in the Maldives.”

Following the announcement of the eye camp last month, the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives called on the government to “shun all medical aid from the Zionist regime” and not to normalise relations with Israel.

The Foundation claimed that Maldivians should be wary of the eye surgeons as Isreali medical teams “have become notorious for illegally harvesting organs from non-Jews around the world.”

Political Counsellor at the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi, Itay Tagner, dismissed the claims as “outrageous and ridiculous” with “not one gram of truth to it.”

The religious conservation Adaalath party, coalition partner of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) which controls the Islamic Ministry, meanwhile issued a press release yesterday claiming that it has learned “from reliable sources” that the camp is funded by the American-Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).

“Doctors who are coming for this eye camp are from a Zionist organisation called ‘Eyes from Zion’,” reads the Adhaalath statement. “Don’t think that these are doctors from a normal hospital! We have learned that a group from the Israeli Foreign Ministry will be coming with them.”

It adds that while the party has welcomed medical teams from countries such as Germany, America and India in the past, the Israeli delegation was a different matter.

“Allegations that the Maldivian government has secret ties with the Israeli government is something Maldivian citizens should be concerned about today,” it continues. “What is the truth about claims that some senior government officials made secret trips to Israel via Jordan?”

Adhaalath further claims that the Isreali government gifted a floating ambulance to the Maldives in June this year but was not made public by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

The statement adds that “Zionists wishing to freely assist a 100 percent Muslim country defies logic” since it is “as clear as the afternoon sun that Jews would not wish well for Muslims”, cautioning that help from Israel would only come with “a hidden agenda”.

“Today it’s a team of doctors. Tomorrow it will be Israeli flights. Then will follow Israeli teachers, technicians and advisors,” it reads, adding that Adhaalath has voiced concern with the government’s efforts “to dim the role of Islamic studies” ever since it began pursuing relations with the Jewish state.

The party claims that the government’s plans to make Islam an optional subject in higher secondary education and allegedly remove reservations it holds to international conventions “could no longer be seen as coincidences.”

The party cautions citizens to be wary of Jews infiltrating the Maldives and “be watchful of agents that facilitate their plans”.

However, Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari told Minivan News today that the ministry has neither raised concerns with the government nor urged the authorities not to go ahead with the camp.

Bari insisted that the Adhaalath press release did not reflect the views of the Islamic Ministry.

Some 739 people in Male’ and 879 in Addu and Fuvahmulah have registered for treatment at the eye camp on December 9.

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