The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Kailesh Jagutpal proceeded, this morning, to the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, which is a testimony of the contribution of the Teaching Eye Surgery (TES) Foundation to the betterment of ophthalmologic health services dispensed in hospitals.
The ceremony was held at the New Souillac Hospital in presence of other eminent personalities including the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Dr. Muhammad Ismaël Rawoo.
The TES Foundation and the Ministry of Health and Wellness are bound by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) until 2024. Under this framework, the TES foundation has put at the disposition of the Ministry high end medical equipment to the tune of more than Rs 1 million.
In his address, the Minister expressed gratitude to the TES foundation for its continuous support to back up Governmental efforts to provide specialised health services such as ophthalmologic services, across the Island.  Speaking about the MoU, he indicated that it also caters for the training and professional development of the health personnel in the field of ophthalmology.
It has also facilitated the visit of expert missions in Mauritius, and provided for definition of modalities for training courses in Geneva destined to surgeons, doctors and nurses, he stressed.
The Health Minister stated that his Ministry and the TES foundation share the common objective of ensuring the health and wellness of all citizens. He reiterated his determination to continue to invest in terms of infrastructure, technology and manpower to provide adequate eyes care to every Mauritian.
Dr. Kailesh Jagutpal further pointed out that with the decentralisation of public health services, ophthalmologic services are not solely dispensed at the Moka Eye Hospital but also at the New Souillac Hospital.
He informed that till date, a total of 333 cataract surgeries have been carried out at the New Souillac Hospital.
Cataract surgeries has also been decentralised to Dr AG Jeetoo Hospital and photocoagulation programmes have been extended to Dr AG Jeetoo Hospital, Victoria Hospital, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam National Hospital, ​​Dr Bruno Cheong hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Rodrigues, he added.
As for the Vice-President of the TES foundation, Mr.Alain Fong, he spoke about his endeavour to extend support to the New Souillac Hospital through the transfer of technology and transfer of know-how. He pointed out that the latest medical equipment donated to the hospital is an Optical coherence tomography equipment.
