Dr. Yao Xiaoming, well-known Chinese ophthalmologist, postgraduate supervisor of Jinan University, has formed a deep relationship with Sri Lanka over the years.
In the 1980s, he started working in ophthalmology after graduating from the university. He saw a lot of cases of corneal blindness due to infection, trauma or other reasons. He saw people’s suffering. He saw people’s enduring agony.
“No cornea donors, corneal transplantation could not be performed. I had to wait a long time. Some of the patients lost the chance for treatment while waiting, and even had to remove their eyeballs. At that time, almost no one in China had awareness about the donation of corneas.”
He felt miserable and helpless. As an ophthalmologist, patients’ pain tormented him. By chance he heard from a friend that Sri Lankans donated corneas after they died, so he started paying some attention to that far away tropical country. But at that time, the only thing he read in newspaper were frequent wars and lasting fighting, bombings and struggling.
In 2000, he went to Japan for further studies. There was a Sri Lankan girl working for the famous Japanese ophthalmologist Akita Momose. She coordinated Sri Lankan corneas to be transported to Japan by air. “When I went to the airport with ophthalmologist Akita Momose, I saw foam with corneas. The box’s insulated surface was labelled ‘Gift that brings light, from the people of Sri Lanka’ — that moment I was deeply touched, and the feeling was beyond words.”
First visit
The people of Sri Lanka deserve peace. In the New Year of 2011, after the battle against terrorism had completely ended, Dr. Yao Xiaoming came to the tear-shaped island for the first time. In addition to visiting theSigiriya Rock, Kandy, and Galle, he arranged the special meet with Ms. Silva, Chairman of Sri Lanka International Eye Bank.
“She showed me the eye bank’s refrigerator, where dozens of corneas were kept, ready to be shipped around the world.”
The crystal clear cornea greatly shocked his soul. He saw the crystal clear heart of Sri Lanka.
One more thing that he couldn’t forget: One day he took a tuk-tuk from his hotel to the Dalada Maligawa. On arrival he jumped out of the tuk-tuk and rushed in line to buy a ticket, totally forgetting his backpack with camera and passport.
“When I realised that I had left my backpack in the tuk-tuk it had gone. My mind was all blank. I had to give up the tour and return to the hotel in despair.”
Unexpectedly, before arriving at the hotel, he saw the driver standing on the side of the road under the scorching sun, waiting for him.
“I tried to give him some money to express my gratitude, but he refused.”
“Before visiting, my impression was poverty and backwardness caused by the long, brutal battle against terrorism, but through this short trip, I formed a fresh new understanding of the island: picturesque wild coast, shining gems, rich tastes of black tea……and most important: brave people and their crystal souls,” he said.
Gift
In 2014, Lanka Hospitals in partnership with the Embassy of China and a coalition of Chinese enterprises based in Sri Lanka gifted 1,000 free cataract surgeries to underprivileged cataract patients in Sri Lanka. Dr. Yao Xiaoming was one of the surgeons.
Regarding this event, he recalled a lot.
In early 2011, shortly after his first visit to Sri Lanka, with the support of the then President’s wife Shiranthi Rajapaksa and the Sri Lanka International Eye Bank, his city Shenzhen received the first batch of corneas.
“At the same time, I also found that this non-profit organization, which has a history of over 50 years and had donated more than 60,000 corneas to over 30 countries around the world, urgently needed improvement in facilities. I saw the old-fashioned printer and thought they deserve much better equipment. I wanted to do my best to help.”
Until 2014, the Sri Lanka International Eye Bank had donated nearly 1,000 corneas to China. “Under these circumstances, I called on domestic enterprises and individuals to donate a batch of computers, printers, fax machines, microscopes, surgical instruments and vehicles to the Sri Lanka International Eye Bank, to the value of over one million US dollars. That had been the largest donation from NGOs among various countries.”
In August of that year, the then First Lady Shiranthi presented Dr. Yao Xiaoming with the International Honorary Consultant Certificate He became the only foreign consultant for this world-renowned international eye bank.
After the Certificate ceremony, Dr. Yao Xiaoming got a chance to propose to the then Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Wu Jianghao: “Sri Lanka had donated nearly 1,000 corneas to China. Can we perform 1,000 free cataract surgeries for the Sri Lankan people as a reciprocal gesture?”
With efforts from all sides, the “Tribute to love — China-Sri Lanka Free Cataract Surgery” was finally carried out. Once the then President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa donated two corneas as a national gift to China during his visit. This time, the corneas donated by the then President’s wife Shiranthi to the wife of President Xias was the icing on the cake, which has become a much-told story in the diplomatic history of the two countries.
Surgeries were carried out from December 13, 2014 over a period of one week. During the free cataract project, a patient who impressed the ophthalmologist Dr. Yao deeply was an elderly woman.
“She was in a wheelchair at the ceremony attended by the wives of the presidents of both countries. The next day when she came to the hospital for a re-examination, she made a praying gesture and murmured something. Although I couldn’t understand what she said, from her tearful eyes, I could fully understand her gratitude.”
Example
But In fact, it is the people of Sri Lanka who really need to be thanked. As we all know, in 1952, Sri Lanka signed the Rice-Rubber Agreement with my country and played a positive role in breaking the Western blockade and embargo. In the past 10 years, Sri Lanka has donated more than 7,000 corneas to China, bringing hope to many corneal blind patients.
He said, “Sri Lanka’s good spirit has also set an example for the Chinese people and me.”
That is not only in words. In 2005, Dr. Yao Xiaoming’s mother passed away. In accordance with her wishes, Yao removed her cornea and performed corneal transplantation for many patients, trying to increase the corneal donation awareness of Chinese people with his personal dedication and demonstration.
Chinese grant
In 2019, Yao strongly recommended the Sri Lanka International Eye Bank, which has contributed to the blindness prevention career in my country, to the China Disabled Persons’ Federation and it received a grant of US$ 200,000.
“Over the years, I have not only gained inspiration and happiness, but also learned to be grateful and give back. I realize that although the strength of a country is related to GDP, its soft power is equally important. Sri Lanka is still a developing country, but she is known as the “eye of the world” and has won the respect of world people. I firmly believe that Sri Lanka will be able to overcome the difficulties and challenges it faces and become a shining gem in the Indian Ocean.”
On April 24,, 2019, three days after the Easter Sunday attacks, The People’s Daily, which is the official newspaper of the Chinese government and the most important paper in China, published an article Thank you, Sri Lanka to express gratitude to Sri Lankan people on behalf of Chinese people, also calling for the whole Chinese society to pay more attention to help.