Vision 2020: Who wants it to go blind?

Since 2007 one of the Health Ministry’s most enlightened operations, has been the Vision 2020 Mission, where up to now more than 40,000 cataract operations have been done virtually free of charge, for poor people in different parts of the country. Those who could afford were required to pay only about Rs. 2,500 for a quality lens and about Rs. 2,000 for other basic surgical costs.

For those who could not afford even this, the lens was provided free of charge through donations provided through generous individuals and companies. 

This charity or social justice mission was streamlined by President Maithripala Sirisena, when he was the Minister of Health in the Rajapaksa administration. After being elected President Mr. Sirisena was the chief guest at a Vision 2020 ceremony and highly commended the work of the movement, which had virtually restored the sight of some 40,000 impoverished people, while reports indicate there are more than 100,000 other poor people who are losing their vision and need to get the cataract operation done free of charge or at nominal cost.

Tragically, the Daily Mirror learns from one of the leading donors, that Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne has for some reason or eyewash purposes decided to change the vision and mission of Vision 2020. This comes after the appointment of his close friend Dr. J.M.W. Jayasundara Bandara as the Director General of Health Services.

According to a donor the Minister had told the College of Eye Surgeons to appoint a new national steering committee to operate the Vision 2020. This is to be headed by Dr. Mrs. Muditha Kulathunga, Senior Eye Consultant. It means that from now on impoverished Cataract patients would be forced to pay Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 25,000 for the lens, even when the surgery is done at a public hospital. 

There are allegations that the expensive lens importers have worked out some kind of deal with those involved in the cataract surgeries and kickbacks ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 7,500 
are given.

Up to now Eye Surgeon Dr. Asela Abeydeera has been heading the Vision 2020 unit and has been widely acclaimed for the noble manner in which he helped to save the vision of more than 40,000 poor people suffering from cataract. 

But now it seems that business interests are being given priority over the interests of poor patients. It is a sad ugly wound on the Minister, who claims in highly paid newspaper advertisements that he is committed to the implementation of the Senaka Bibile policy of providing quality healthcare to all people at affordable prices.

One of the main donors and a former Vision 2020 steering committee member told the Daily Mirror yesterday they were seeking an appointment with both Dr. Senaratne and with President Sirisena to reconsider this move to turn the social justice Vision 2020 movement into a business operation. 
We hope that the national government which claims it is committed to good governance, accountability and social justice, will heed this appeal and not allow business interests to stop or sabotage the mission to help save the vision of tens of thousands of impoverished people.

The overall aim of vision 2020 had been to reduce avoidable blindness in Sri Lanka through the development of a sustainable and equitable national programme for prevention and control of blindness as a part of the National Health Service. 

Vision 2020 was operated fully on the donor funds for its activities except the salaries paid for the focal persons, coordinators, all the government employees involved in eye care and the utilities of eye units and Vision 2020 offices. Vision 2020 had handled around Rs. 50 million every year in its projects and more than Rs. 600 million during the past 10 years.

Now, the Government or the Health Ministry will make an allocation for Vision 2020 and the voluntary donors will be left out. What is worse there is a danger that the social justice mission will gradually turn into a business operation with medical personnel and lens importers making money while poor cataract patients are left to go blind.