In just 48-hours The Fred Hollows Foundation has restored sight to 487 people in southern Bangladesh.

The high-volume surgery occurred through an outreach mobile eye clinic (OMEC) in Satkhira, a district of farmers, who rely on sight to support their families.

“Avoidable blindness is an urgent problem in Bangladesh,” says The Foundation’s CEO Brian Doolan. “The Foundation is working to reach as many people as possible as quickly as possible.”

The successful results of the OMEC were due to effective awareness-raising in the lead-up through leaflet drops and health worker announcements at community gatherings in the villages.

After hearing of the eye screenings, people presented at outreach sessions for checks-ups.

Those requiring cataract operations and other sight-restoring surgeries were immediately transported by bus to Nalta Hospital. Six medical teams worked around the clock to restore the sight of the 487 patients.

“Fred always said a job wasn’t worth doing unless you did it properly – I think he would be proud of the large-scale results The Foundation and local partners are achieving through careful coordination and grassroots communication,” Doolan says.

“This amazing result highlights how much we are able to achieve through the generosity of our Australian supporters.”

Bangladesh is one of The Foundation’s fastest growing programs – with cataract operations more than doubling in 2010.  In a country with an estimated 7.5 million people blind, The Foundation is providing medical training, infrastructure and equipment to build sustainable health systems.