Dog Comes From Lanka To Indore For Cataract Care
· Free Press Journal
Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A nine-year-old female Yorkshire Terrier named Annie has arrived in Indore from Sri Lanka for cataract surgery, reflecting an emerging trend of medical tourism for pets alongside humans.
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Annie has been suffering from cataracts, which caused whitening of the eye lenses and reduced her vision. Since specialised veterinary ophthalmologists for cataract surgery are limited in Sri Lanka, her owner, US citizen Bethany Ann Hopkins, who currently lives there, decided to bring Annie to India for treatment.
Veterinary surgeon and eye surgery specialist Dr Narendra Chauhan said his centre has been performing manual cataract surgeries since 2014 and sutureless phaco surgery since 2016. He said only a few centres in India offer specialised eye surgeries for pets, while veterinarians from abroad are also trained at the centre.
Treatment cost was another factor behind the decision. According to Dr Chauhan, a cataract surgery costing around Rs 1 lakh in India can cost up to Rs 6 lakh in the US, while the technology and equipment used are comparable to American and European clinics. India also offers shorter travel time from Sri Lanka.
After surgery, Annie will remain in Indore for around 10-15 days before returning to Sri Lanka. The centre has trained veterinarians from 13-14 countries, including Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, UAE, Philippines, Mauritius, Maldives and Bahrain.
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