Netra Jayant Venkatramani Iyer on behalf of The Vision Mission Ltd
Aim
To provide cataract surgeries, diabetic retinopathy screening and physician training in western Odisha state
The project
The western Odisha state is an impoverished region in India with a population of over 10 million people, a large proportion of whom are Adivasis ('Scheduled Tribes'). Access to ophthalmic care is poor in this region. Project Netra was established in 2014 in partnership with Trilochan Netralaya at Sambalpur to provide world class eye care to the needy in this region. From its inception in 2014, Project Netra has matured from a simple cataract surgery program that has restored sight to 6,000 patients to date. It now includes a more comprehensive sustainable eye care program encompassing tiered cataract surgery systems adhering to international standards and a formal optometry program in order to tackle treatable vision impairment from cataract and refractive error, a diabetic retinopathy program to tackle the burden of irreversible blindness, and annual ophthalmic education programs for local ophthalmologists, residents and eyecare providers.
This project aims to provide cataract surgeries for 1,000 patients below the poverty line, provide diabetic retinopathy screening and management for 1,000 patients, provide a SICS training course for regional ophthalmic surgeons practising in areas of need, and hold a 'Vision Summit' consisting of lectures and hands-on surgical workshops for ophthalmologists and residents based in Odisha.