Tsunami survivors get free glasses

Tsunami survivors get free glasses

JAKARTA: Hundreds of tsunami survivors in Aceh line up each
day to receive free eyeglasses from members of the U.S. naval
ship, USNS Mercy.

The patients are examined and given their glasses at Zainoel
Abidin Hospital in Banda Aceh.

Patients came from as far away as Sigli, some 112 kilometers
from Banda Aceh, on Tuesday. They began lining up early in the
morning. One woman said she had been waiting for three days to
get a pair of glasses.

A staffer at USNS Mercy, Rob Dobbins, said they were handing
out about 180 pairs of free eyeglasses every day.

The U.S. naval craft began its humanitarian relief work in the
area on Jan. 26. -- Antara