February 9, 1999
Man of Vision MEDICAL SERVICES: Dr Pannet Pangputhipong heads a team of doctors from Wat Rai Khing Hospital who often give up their weekends to perform free eye surgery for needy cataract patients Chompoo Trakullertsathien -- Picture courtesy of Dr Panne We care Man of vision The eye operation room at the Mettapracharak Hospital is never free, with more 20 patients a day lined up for surgery. On busy days, it is not uncommon for Dr Pannet Pangputhipong to skip lunch. Still, he says he wouldn't trade his job for the world. For the 39-year-old eye doctor, the best thing about his work is the ecstatic look on the faces of his patients when they can see the world in sharp focus and full of colours once again after their eye operations. "It's a feeling of immense joy seeing my patients smile when they can see the world clearly. It is this kind of happiness that keeps me going," says Dr Pannet, deputy director of Mettapracharak Hospital, better known as Wat Rai Khing Hospital which is famous for its eye treatment. Though very busy on weekdays, Dr Pannet also works voluntarily on weekends to give free surgery to the rural poor with cataract problems. An eye operation normally costs about 6,000 baht. Knowing the poor cannot afford this, Dr Pannet set up a a mobile eye clinic in 1996 to treat them free of charge. Since then, he and three other volunteer doctors from Wat Rai Khing Hospital have travelled across the country, visiting remote villages once or twice every month to treat cataract patients as well as giving away free spectacles to those who suffer shortsightedness. The mobile eye unit has visited many remote villages, especially in the North and the Northeast where the number of cataract patients is high and the people's standard of living low. The medical team has helped more than 150,000 cataract patients over the past three years. To assist the doctor in his mammoth task, provincial hospitals usually contact him beforehand with a list of cataract patients who need urgent surgery. Dr Pannet then coordinates with his team and sets a date for the upcountry trip, mostly on weekends. Each trip normally takes about three or four days. Demand for eye operations is so great that the team, though working from dawn till dusk every day during each trip, is often unable to deal with everyone who turns up. They only have time to treat 50 to 100 eyes at most. As a result, priority must go to the most urgent cases. As a result, the team must return to the same village on the next trip to ensure every patient is treated. "The patients mostly comes from remote villages. They walk many kilometres down from the mountains to see us. Then they have to wait for days because there is usually a long queue," he says. "Repeat trips back to the same area sometimes mean it takes months or years before we can move on to a new area. We cannot just leave knowing that many patients are still waiting for us to return. We cannot disappoint them," says the soft-spoken oculist. Dr Pannet estimates that his team can treat about 50,000 cataract patients a year. This year, before the budget cuts, they originally aimed for 60,000 patients while there are about 100,000 on the waiting list. The cost of the trip, usually between 500,000 and 600,000 baht, normally comes from the Rai Khing Temple which fully supports the hospital and its eye department. Sadly, however, as a result of funding cutbacks since the start of the economic crisis, the high-cost mobile unit must also cut back its operations. Hence, the waiting list has grown much longer. To raise funds, Dr Pannet now must ask for public support. Many of his better-off patients at the Rai Khing Hospital also chip in to help poor patients when they know of his mission. One of the major problem the team faces is finding more modern equipment. They have only five of the specialised optical machines needed to serve both city and rural patients. The modern machines are used to lessen the time of the operation as well as for the patients' recovery. "The operation takes only about 10 minutes and the patients can go home immediately," he explains, adding that the modern technique needs expert hands to minimise possible risks. According to Dr Pannet, many cataract patients in remote parts of Thailand suffer unnecessarily from lack of access to medical services. "Because they cannot get treatment in time, their eye problem deteriorates until it gets very severe. Some even go blind," he says. According to the doctor, cataracts mostly afflict people over 60. Diabetics are also vulnerable. Apart from the joy of helping, Dr Pannet and his team often return home with token gifts from his patients, such as vegetables and fermented fish. "It's their way of saying thank-you," he says. "After the operation, most patients say that they are so happy to have a second chance to see the world clearly. And I always tell them they also make me happy by giving me a chance to be helpful," he adds. Apart from giving free medical treatment to the poor, Dr Pannet also organises free training courses for eye doctors. The courses focus on the cataract disease and how to use modern technology to treat it effectively. About 50 doctors have attended during the past three years. Expanding his mission overseas, Dr Pannet has also held training courses for oculists from India, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Singapore. His work in cataract treatment also won him the 1998 Best Surgeon of Video Cataratta Award in Italy last October. According to Dr Pannet, the country has long been facing an acute shortage of oculists. Both private and state universities can produce only about 30 oculists a year. "This means that one oculist has to take care of around 100,000 patients. With no short-term solution, we try to hasten our work to aid visually-impaired adults," says the eye doctor. "In fact, universities should produce about 100 to 200 oculists annually. That would meet the ever-increasing numbers of cataract patients," he added. The distribution of oculists is also not balanced. About 400 are packed into Bangkok hospitals while there are only around 150 scattered across the provinces. "Most prefer to work in the modern city hospitals where they can earn more money and reputation. Only a few are determined to serve their hometown or poor villagers. "It's not fair that only the rich can get treatment. We need more volunteer oculists to give free services to needy patients," says Dr Pannet. While the country is sinking deeper into the economic catastrophe and the government continues to turn a blind eye to the needs of the poor, the team of oculists from Mettapracharak Hospital is determined to continue their mission. With a limited budget, however, Dr Pannet can travel to only 10 provinces this year and the mobile unit can only treat 100 cataract patients in each province at most. "We can't wait for assistance from the government or for the economy to improve. Neither can the poor. We have to do our small part to make the lives of the needy better." Info for donations: Name of organisation: Mettapracharak (Wat Rai Khing) Hospital Address: 52 Moo 2, Tambon Rai Khing, Sam Phran district, Nakhon Pathom province, 73210 Bank account name for donations: Fund for the Needy, savings account number 734-1-12634-5, Krung Thai Bank, Sam Phran branch. Or Fund for Eyeglasses Bank, savings account number 734-1-11881-4, Krung Thai Bank, Sam Phran branch. Contact person: Dr Pannet Pangputhipong Tel: (034) 321-983-5, 321-244, 225-417-20 Fax: (034) 321-243 If you want to help, send your cheque payable to Post Publishing Public Company Limited (For Cataract Project). Send it to Mrs Kusuma Mintakhin, Editorial Manager, 136 Na Ranong Road, Off Sunthorn Kosa, Klong Toey, Bangkok, 10110. Her telephone number is 240-3700 ext 3224-5. Please also include your name and address with your cheque so we can send you a receipt. "We Care" is a weekly series honouring people who believe in giving. You can show you care by supporting the projects featured here each week. You can also let us know about people who unselfishly help others so we can honour them in these pages. Fax "We Care" on 240-3666 or call 240-3700 ext 3208 or 3212. Alternatively, e-mail <sanitsuda@bangkokpost.net>.		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