The VIIO Child Eye Care Project

In accordance to our moto “Shraddahi Paramagathihi” (Dedication is the ultimate goal) a tenet by which the institution functions to this day has prioritised child care as one of its primary services. Under our visual rehabilitation programme in underserved area we have identified 20 schools from different clusters. Basic eye screening will be done at school & those who require further evaluation and management will be referred to our vision centre or base hospital. This programme was kick started in the month of August 2016 & we have screened 436 children, 46 children have been identified with refractive errors for which spectacles will be provided, 4 children require surgical management. Some photos of children who have been managed with surgical intervention for curable blindness.

Under our outreach activity Community based rehabilitation for visually impaired programme (CBR) in association with Operation Eyesight Universal & Givaudan India Pvt Ltd was started in an Urban Slum in Bangalore with specific objective of identifying persons with curable and incurable blindness, low vision and visual impairment & to provide need and age based rehabilitation services including developmental, educational, mobility, life skill, economic & social rehabilitation services. Under this programme 17686 children were screened in the field. 12 children were assessed for the level of low vision and were provided with suitable low vision aids followed by admission to integrated school. The above childrens' best corrected visual acuity was 6/18 or even less  & field of vision was less than10 degree. The main diagnosis of the above children for low vision was Congenital Glaucoma, Rod cone dystrophy, Total Retinal Detachment, Retinitis Pigmentosa & Congenital cataract.

In accordance to our mission we have screened 120 children from 2 schools. 25 children were referred to base hospital for evaluation and management. 15 children have been provided with glasses prescription. Children identified with need for further medical / surgical intervention have been treated at base hospital. 8 children have benefitted from surgical interventions at base hospital. Besides, our doctors visit paediatric clinic being run at Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health Centre for 3 days in a week and have screened around 515 children out of which 5 children necessitated surgical intervention and were operated at IGICH for cataract ailment & others during the same period. Keeping in view the children’s systemic condition the surgery was planned at Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health Centre. All surgery required consumables and instrumens were carried to centre from base hospital.

From 15th of September 2015 till November end we have screened 230 number of school children from 3 schools. These schools are typically run by Government and have students coming from very poor and undernourished background. Children identified with need for further medical intervention have been provided with glasses - 22 nos have benefited from this screening, 26 children have been treated for other eye diseases. Besides this we have done children eye screening at our vision centres - Padayanapura & Nandini Layout for 165 children and spectacles have been suggested to 51 needy children. Our doctors visit paediatric clinic being run at Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health Centre for 3 days in a week and have screened around 375 children for various ailments during the same period.