Chinese team offers free ophthalmic treatment in Myanmar

A Chinese medical team started a free eye surgical treatment campaign in Yangon Thursday as the third of its kind of "Brightness Action" in the country.

Organized by the China Foundation for Peace and Development ( CFPD) and Myanmar Alinyaung (Brightness) Foundation (MAF), the Chinese medical team is conducting a four-day surgical treatment on 200 cataract eye patients by a team of seven Chinese surgeons.

The "Brightness Action-2014", the third overseas public welfare project of the CFPD, was launched at the Myodaw Medical Center.

"The third free eye surgical treatment is one of the cooperation in health sector between the two countries and our foundation is also having discussion on cooperation in education sector in addition to health," Yu Xiaoxuan, deputy secretary- general of the China Foundation for Peace and Development, said in an interview with Xinhua.

The CFPD introduced its First "Brightness Action" in Myanmar in May-June 2011, in which a five-member Chinese medical team provided free cataract surgery to 248 patients in Yangon with a claim of 100-percent success.

In May 2012, under the Second "Brightness Action" project, another Chinese medical team consisting of six ophthalmic experts conducted similar operations for 361 patients.

Based on the two "Brightness Actions" in Myanmar, the CFPD has decided to turn such short-term cataract operation programs into a long-term initiative so as to bring more benefit to Myanmar people.

In October 2012, the China-Myanmar International Ophthalmic Center was set up in Yangon providing training to Myanmar medical staff . The center plans to give surgical treatment to 20,000 cataract patients within five years.

CFPD is a nationwide non-profit organization established in January 2011 in Beijing.

Over the past three years since its founding, the CFPD has sponsored exchanges and public welfare projects in Myanmar with a view to bringing tangible benefit to the Myanmar people and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the two nations.