Primary Eye Care Centre (Sangam Vihar)

Primary Eye Care Centre (Sangam Vihar)

Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Science, AIIMS, Community Ophthalmology Unite is planning to extended Primary Eye Care services by adopting new slums, clusters, and underprivileged community settlements. Under this initiative, the centre plans to run a Primary Eye Care Clinic once in a week in Sangam Vihar in partnership with Kalyanam.

The centre will provide free eye OPD services, medicines for ocular problems, refraction services and provision of subsidized spectacles from R.P. Centre. Patients with Operable ocular conditions will be referred to Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Science, AIIMS for free surgical services.

A team of Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, Medico Social Worker and Health Worker will also conduct screening camps, training events for volunteers, training of local medical practitioners and school teachers, and eye health awareness events in the community.

Broadly, the Primary Eye Care Clinic, Community Ophthalmology Unite will provide the following facilities: Free Eye OPD; Free Surgical Services to the referred patients by the centre at AIIMS Free Medicines for Ocular Problems; Refractions services & Provision of spectacles with subsidized rates; Training to community volunteer; Training events to school children/ teacher; and Training to local practitioner doctors.

Kalyanam is the project partner organization for this project for next three years. As a partner organization of this project, Kalyanam is requested to provide the following infrastructural support free of cost along with voluntary services by its team:

Space (2 separate rooms for one Ophthalmologist and one Refractionist) Space for Vision activity and testing registration A team of volunteers

Apart from these facilities, Kalyanam is also expected to facilitate training of community volunteers, school teachers, and local practitioners. Sangam Vihar has more than ten lakh population. This Programme will help to prevent the needy population of the area from blindness.

Summary of Activities and Results:

An Eye OPD Camp was organized on 26th July 2007 by Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Science, All India Institute Medical Science at Kalyanam- ISF Remedial Centre, Sangam Vihar. The eye check up of 275 patients was carried out by a team of doctors from AIIMS and out of 275, 45 cataracts surgery cases were detected. The operation dates were given to these patients on the spot and transportation facilitation for pick up and drop was provided by Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Centre, AIIMS. Medicine was also provided for the patients who were suffering with ocular eye problems. This exercise highlighted that there is a need of an eye care centre in Sangam Vihar and Kalyanam has been identified as a partner NGO to provide space and infrastructural facility. The centre is functioning since then.

Long Term Beneficiaries :

According to official voters figures issued by election commission of India, the population of a word of Sangam Vihar is around 75000. But a large number of population residing in Sangam Vihar is of those people who are migrated workers and do not have their names in any lists and official figures. As a result it is difficult to figure out the actual population of Sangam Vihar. Unofficial estimations indicate that the population of Sangam Vihar is not less than Ten Lakhs. This is the population which will get benefited with The Primary Eye Care Centre