Bansara Eye Care Hospital celebrates the 10th Anniversary

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 14, 2019

Bansara Eye Care Hospital was inaugurated back in the year 2009 on 10th August by his Excellency, Shri R. S. Mooshahary, the then Governor of Meghalaya. The hospital was established to cater to patients who require eye care service in Meghalaya. Founded by Dr. Jennifer Basaiawmoit, who is currently the Chairman, the hospital has grown from strength to strength expanding its reach and range of service offered to the patients.

On the other hand, the Society for Promotion of Eye Care and Sight (SPECS) was conceived way back during the period of 1990s. It was a result of a movement in the city of Shillong by individuals belonging to different educational, professional and religious background concerned with the plight of visually impaired patients. After several planning, the constitution of the Society containing the memorandum was passed and the Society was registered on 17th August 1992, however, it began its operation in the year 1994 spearheaded by its President – Dr. Jennifer Basaiawmoit.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Bansara Eye Care Hospital and Silver Jubilee of the Society for Promotion of Eye Care & Sight (SPECS), a celebratory program was conducted on 10th August 2019 at Pinewood State Convention Centre, Shillong.

Present on the occasion were dignitaries from Vision2020 which includes Dr. Jennifer Basaiawmoit (President of SPECS and Chairman of Bansara Eye Care Hospital) and Dr. T. P. Das (President – Vision 2020 and Vice Chairman – LV Prasad Eye Institute) as well as Mr. Kashinath Bhoosnurmath (Vice President – International Programmes, OEU Canada), Ms. Elizabeth Kurian (CEO – Mission for Vision), Mr. Thulasiraj R. D. (Executive Director of Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO) and Director Operations of Aravind Eye Care System) and the Honourable Health Minister, Government of Meghalaya, Shri. A. L. Hek.

The function began at 4:00 PM to the sounds of Khasi drums at the start of the program when members of the dais made their way on to the stage which was soon after followed by a welcome song sang by the staff of Bansara Eye Care Hospital and students from Bansara Institute of Ophthalmic Sciences (BIOS).

A felicitation program to honour the guest on the dais was conducted followed by a speech from Dr. Jennifer Basaiawmoit. Shedding light on her journey, she shared her experience while pursuing ophthalmology and her dilemma whether to return to Meghalaya.

She went to state that, “My mother was a source of inspiration and because of her I decided to come back to Meghalaya. Also, the challenge of providing quality eye care in the state which was then plagued by problems of poverty, illiteracy, difficult terrain and inadequate means of transport and road infrastructure sparked in me a dream. In following that dream, I heard my calling and in that calling I discovered myself”.

She went on to add that the Hospital and SPECS were formed with a view to help people suffering from eye-related problems and in pursuit of ways to make eye service accessible and the cost of eye treatment affordable to the people of Meghalaya. She concluded by thanking all the patients for their trust, staff who helped her during her journey and partners who offered their support.

This was then followed by a presentation from Mr. Aaron Basaiawmoit – CEO of Bansara Eye Care Hospital – who spoke about the journey covered by the Hospital from the year 2009 to its present date. He covered the achievements of the hospital through the lens of the United Nations sustainable development goals and concluded by thanking the partners saying, “It is only through effective partnerships (SDG 17) that Bansara was able to impact the lives of 7,50,000 patients over the years”.

Mr. Thulasiraj R. D. then took centre stage to launch the website of the Society for Promotion of Eye Care and Sight (SPECS) which will serve as a platform for donors and partners to collaborate in an effort of eliminating avoidable blindness in the state of Meghalaya.

Mr. Thulasiraj R. D., Ms. Elizabeth Kurian and Dr. T. P. Das then went on to give speeches lauding the effort of Dr. Jennifer Basaiawmoit and congratulating both SPECS as well as Bansara Eye Care Hospital on its milestone while also wishing them success on their journey towards eliminating avoidable blindness in Meghalaya.

Gracing the event as the Chief Guest, Shri. A. L. Hek, Honourable Health Minister, Government of Meghalaya, spoke at the event and stated that, “Bansara Eye Care Hospital has helped provide the necessary eye care services to the people of the state. They have helped improve the overall service delivery for eye care and have the support of the Government to uplift the health of the people of the state. I wish them all the best for their future endeavours”.

Two special awards were bestowed upon to two of the housekeeping staff Ms. Amabilis Dkhar and Ms. Francisca War and a special Achievement Award was given to Senior Consultant Ophthalmologist – Dr. Saurabh Kumar Sarma – for his outstanding dedicated service to the organization. The awards were presented to the Staff by the Honourable Health Minister (Government of Meghalaya), Shri. A.L. Hek.

To make the event memorable, a cultural program was then conducted in which staff from the Hospital and students from Bansara Institute of Ophthalmic Sciences (BIOS) performed traditional dance and songs to pay homage to the accomplishment and milestone achieved by the Hospital and SPECS.

Before the program draws to a close, an award distribution ceremony was held to recognize the dedication and contribution made by the staff in helping the organization grow.