Seychelles to benefit more from Lions Club support |15 April 2015

Added to the cataract operations which the Lions Club is currently conducting at the Seychelles Hospital, Seychelles will shortly benefit from more help from the international organisation, particularly in the health sector.

This follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Health at the Seychelles Hospital yesterday afternoon.

The chief executive of the Health Care Agency Dr Suresh Menon signed on the Seychelles side while the Lions Club was represented by Davinder Eari, the Governor of district 411 A which also includes Kenya and Ethiopia.

Also present were the Minister for Health Mitcy Larue, her principal secretary Peggy Vidot, doctors, other health officials and members of the Lions Club.
The terms of the agreement focus mainly on eye care, including fundings for local clinics as well as overseas treatment.

The Lions Club has also agreed to set up a clinic locally. The ‘Lions Clinic’ as it will be named, will also ease the eye screening of each and every Seychellois child. As a result of the testing exercise which is due to start in six weeks’ time, the club will also offer free glasses to the needy.

In the future, the Lions Club has also promised to join the fight against alcohol and drugs through its ‘Lions’ Quest’ Programme.

Outside the health sector, the Lions Club is planning to introduce a “reading action programme” whereby children will be taught how to read and write by means of a special library which the Club will run here.

Mr Eari has asserted that the reason for his organisation’s presence in Seychelles is to serve the people, adding that the Lions Club is the leader in vision care and cataract operations in the world.

“We are here to serve as our motto asks us to serve humanity. We are the champions of eye sight. Nobody can beat us on that as we have treated thousands of patients around the world. The MoU will permit us to send doctors to Seychelles upon the country’s demand. I can assure you that we will follow this memorandum and whenever needed, we will assist you,” he said.

Replying to Mr Eari on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Dr Menon expressed gratefulness for the help that the Lions Club has offered to the Seychellois people.

“The signing of the MoU will further attest the cooperation and working relationship which will continue for years to come between the Ministry of Health and the Lions Club” Dr Menon said.

The Lions Club currently enjoys a hundred strong membership in Seychelles. Among those members many are contributors to the Lions Club international. A ceremony will soon be organised in Hawaii where those contributors will be rewarded.