Letter: Doctors praised hospital ship

SIX weeks ago, having been told I would have to wait some time for surgery in the UK, I read of a women whose sight had been stabilised by the Russian Floks team. As I am in my thirties, I did not want to resign myself to going gradually blind and decided to ring them. I was not promised miracles.

I underwent laser surgery for ``giant'' myopia and noticed an improvement in 24 hours. Two days later surgeons removed cataracts from each eye. As I was wheeled out of surgery I threw my glasses at my mum telling her I didn't need them anymore.

Maybe I was lucky. I am young, healthy and with relatively uncomplicated conditions. The care I received was unhurried, gentle and thorough, all costing very little more than it would have cost through Bupa. The after-care may seem negligible but I was given comprehensive advice on what to do to ensure full recovery, plus phone numbers for the ship and the Russian office of Floks. I also received a computerised printout of procedures carried out and saw my case notes throughout. Perhaps the lack of after-care is more due to the British refusal to allow the ship to moor in the Thames rather than lack of concern for ex-patients.

Gillian Gamble

Norwich, Norfolk