Himalayan Cataract Project: Remote Eye Camps

For the second time this year, Dr. Govinda Paudel and a team from the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology in Nepal traveled to Jagadguru Kripalu Charity Hospital, Uttar Pradesh (UP), a remote location in India, to manage a cataract workshop in conjunction with local ophthalmologists. A total of 501 cataract surgeries were provided.

HCP has supported work in the UP since 2007, and each year the number of cataract surgeries provided at the outreach workshops has increased. HCP has committed to adding two additional high-volume cataract workshops in 2012 in India due to the great need.

Photos from an Outreach Microsurgical Eye Clinic at a Himalayan Cataract Project supported Solu Community Eye Centre located in Phaplu, Nepal.

Himalayan Cataract Project Co-Directors Dr. Geoff Tabin and Dr. Sanduk Ruit and a team from the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO) managed an outreach event at the Dolakha Lions Community Eye Center (DLEC), located in the mountainous district of Janakpur, Nepal. This OMEC was conducted by Tilganga Institute of Opthalmology with the support of Himalayan Cataract Project.

Prior to the OMEC, a team from DLEC conducted eight screening eye camps in the different areas examining a total of 1,751 patients and selecting 174 for cataract surgery. All patients were asked to put antibiotic eye drops in both eyes a day before their scheduled surgery.

After the surgery, patients were for 1 to 2 days for follow-up. On the first day, dressing was done and medicine was used frequently as per doctor’s prescription. Most patients were discharged on the second day after taking post-operative visual acuity test and after receiving instructions on how to care of their eyes.  A few patients with complicated cases were kept till the third day for observation and treatment.