Free cataract surgeries from Tzu Chi

The Tzu Chi Medical Foundation on Wednesday culminated its two-day February Surgical Outreach in collaboration with Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation with no less than Dr. Tadashi Hatorri performing the free cataract surgeries at the foundation’s Eye Center at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila.

Susan Afan, RMAF president told the Daily Tribune, that the collaboration was the latest project between two RMAF awardees, Sr. Eva Fidela Maamo of the Philippines (1997), and Dr. Hatorri of Japan (2022).

Maamo is the founder and president of the Our Lady of Peace Mission Inc., who operates a hospital for indigent patients in urban and rural areas. It also provides education, livelihood and micro-credit services to indigent adults.

Hatorri is currently the director of the Asia Prevention of Blindness Association. He has helped more than 20,000 people in Vietnam and Myanmar.

“Along with Master Cheng-Yen (Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines) founder, who is also an RMAF awardee, we have put together awardees as perfect partners for this mission, a borderless collaborations to help,” Afan said.