BrazilPwC Thailand to mark 60th anniversary with charity run for eye-care
PwC Thailand is set to celebrate its 60th anniversary in September by hosting a charity run for the benefit of local patient eye-care.
With a presence now spanning 60 years in the country, professional services firm PwC Thailand will celebrate its upcoming diamond anniversary with a charity race event in support of the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. Proceeds from the “Restore Vision, Run for Sight” event together with a donation from PwC will go toward the purchase of posterior vitrectomy machine – to better care for local eye-patients with retinal detachment.
As the simplest of descriptions, retinal detachment is an eye disorder where the retina separates from the layer underneath, causing a variety of problems in the patient’s field of vision and threatening permanent loss if left untreated. Here, a vitrectomy operation serves to remove all or some of the vitreous humour – or the clear gel behind the lens of the eye – to aid in the reattachment of the patient’s retina.
According to local reporting of Chulalongkorn Hospital data from last year, between three to eight Thai patients with retinal detachment required treatment every week, yet due to the limited number of posterior vitrectomy machines in the country average waiting times can extend to two years. Most commonly effecting people who are in their 60s or 70s, long-term outcomes generally depend on the duration of the detachment.
“We hope that this machine will help reduce the waiting time for retinal disorder patients and that it will enhance the treatment potential of the Ophthalmology Department,” said Boonlert Kamolchanokkul, a Partner and Clients and Markets Financial Services Leader at PwC. “I couldn't be more excited to lead this project and can't wait to see this event become reality. Being part of the Thai community, our mission and priorities must go beyond our business.”
Aiming to raise at least THB 4,000,000 (~US$130,000), the charity race will take place on Sunday the 22nd September and consist of a Mini Marathon (10km) and Fun Run (4km), with participants to assemble at PwC’s Bangkok City Tower base for a 5.00am start-time. Ticket holders (entry is THB 660) will receive a Compressport running shirt, with a VIP option (THB 2,000) including further incentives, and prizes to the value of THB 100,000 will be up for grabs on the day.
“Receiving this machine from PwC Thailand is a great opportunity to help us in providing faster treatment for patients before they lose their sight. With this machine we can also treat a larger group of patients, since it can also treat patients with Endophthalmitis, Vitreous Haemorrhaging and a dislocated lens as well,” said Kittisak Kulvichit, Head of the Vitreoretina Research Unit in the Department of Ophthalmology at Chulalongkorn University.
“The PwC network’s purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. With support from the Thai business community, PwC Thailand has grown in size and ambition to serve the community it operates in,” concluded Kamolchanokkul, with PwC Thailand having grown to include a headcount of more than 2,000 local professionals since its inception in 1969.
