Rotary International on Medical mission to Sierra Leone

Kolkata, May 27 (UNI) An eleven-member Indo-Nepalese Rotary medical team headed by Dr Subashis Nag will leave for war-torn Sierra Leone today to provide medical relief to over 1000 affected people there.

Sierra Leone in West Coast of Africa with a population of approximately 4.5 million people could not benefit from its lucrative diamond mines even after achieving independence because of the vested interests among the small political elite, said District governor Debasish Mitra here yesterday. He said the tiny country had witnessed 11-year bloody war, for gaining control over the diamond business.

Even now when the war has ended in 2002, human rights abuses are still lingering, witnessing a trail of destruction like burnt-out buildings, orphaned children, limbless youth, raped women, and maimed adults.

''To address the crying need of the nation a joint team of Rotary doctors from West Bengal, Asom and Nepal have resolved to go there and serve the needy people and create global impact,'' president of RC Calcutta, Dr Anjan Das told UNI.

The proposed mission is aimed at restoring sight to cataract blind patients, rehabilitating approximately 100 orthopaedically handicapped patients, including polio corrective surgeries, operating on at least 60 gynaeo patients, providing dental care procedures and surgeries, promoting interaction with local doctors and helping local hospitals by providing medical equipment.

When asked about the long-term impact of the mission, Rotary Foundation Coordinator and Dist Counsellor Ravi Sehgal said,'' Our team is going as ambassadors of India and Nepal and there will be medical and cultural exchange there.'' The project would cost around 56,000 US dollars, to be pooled from among rotarians of India, Nepal, the US and Canada.

UNI