Project Title

Sustainable primary eye care services in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India

Prema Chande on behalf of Optometric Education Society, India

2017 XOVA Grant Recipient

 

Project Details

In 2017, the Optometric Education Society, India, with the support of XOVA, set out on a journey to develop sustainable primary eye care services in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India for adults and children. Today, an optical center, as well as a fully-fledged eye outpatient department have been established, and are equipped with XOVA grant-supported instruments. Since the initiation of the project, an awareness campaign has been carried out, a new optometrist has been trained and remote outreach and cataract camps have been successfully organized and implemented, with 1300 adults having now received either refractive error or cataract treatment. Furthermore, childhood vision screening has been provided in schools and teaches have trained to carry out this screening in future. This initiative brings a new vision for eye care to this small religious town located in the foothills of Himalayas.