EYE SURGERY APPEAL UNDER THE GIVING BACK INITIATIVE

Kanka-Gajendra Foundation Cataract Camp for 200 Patients in Bihar, India

A successful one-week Cataract Camp was held in Bihar. This Cataract Camp was funded by The Kanka-Gajendra Foundation, U.K. with additional support from local Government grants.

The Kanka-Gajendra Foundation's aim was to treat people with serious eye conditions who are not normally reached within the Indian system.

The health of low-income families is frequently compromised by difficulty in accessing a balanced diet and clean water for drinking and hygiene purposes. Curable diseases may progress untreated for prolonged periods without easy access to affordable medical services. Several such diseases affect the eyesight and may result in blindness. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable.

A recent survey shows that there is a poor recognition level of the early stages of different types of eye disease among some low-income populations in India. There is a perceived need for public education in the recognition of early conditions leading to eye disease and the associated risks if such conditions are left untreated.

The KGF Eye Camp was held at the Vidyawati Eye Trust in Patna, Bihar, under the direction of Eye Surgeon Dr. V.N. Prasad. Cataract patients were identified from within underprivileged communities and invited to the Vidyawati Eye Trust for screening and, if appropriate, for operation on one or both eyes.

Dr. V.N. Prasad of Vidyawati Eye Trust, assisted by two other eye surgeons completed operations on 200 eye cataract patients and also screened patients for other conditions such as glaucoma, trachoma and diabetes, which will also receive follow-up attention.

As a part of the funding for this Camp, patient after-care included the provision of FREE PRESCRIPTION SPECTACLES if they were required.

We wish to express our thanks to Dr.V.N. Prasad and his team at the Vidyawati Eye Trust, for working tirelessly to ensure the success of this Eye Camp.

Would YOU like to support this Kanka-Gajendra Foundation Eye Surgery Programme?

There is a great need for eye screening and free or affordable eye surgery for low income and underprivileged communities in Bihar State, India.

Bihar State population: ca. 100 million

Projections using a decadal growth rate of 28% from the census of 2001, show that Bihar currently has a population in excess of 100 million and a population density of approximately 950 people per sq. kilometre.

Medical and ophthalmic services are generally concentrated in the towns and cities, leaving some 70% of the rural farming population virtually out of reach. Some effort is being made by the State Government to redress the imbalance of cover but the task and cost is immense and it appears that with the estimated growth in population, targets are unlikely to be met in the next two decades.

Difficulty of access for screening and surgical treatment

There are many remote subsistence communities in Bihar State, India. Eye Surgeons and their staff are frequently willing to undertake Eye Camps like the one described above, but they have problems in accessing the remote communities with appropriate screening equipment.

Having identified patients for surgery, the expert teams cannot easily transport the patients to and from a suitable eye clinic that is equipped with adequate facilities of the required standard to undertake surgical operations and accommodate patients during recovery.

What can YOU do to help restore eyesight?

The Kanka-Gajendra Foundation UK is looking for donations towards funding

A Pilot Scheme for Eye Camp Screening and Patient Transport in Bihar.

This evaluation scheme requires your donations towards the purchase and conversion of a robust bus to serve as a

Mobile Dual-purpose Eye-screening and Patient Transport Unit

in which part of the vehicle will be specially equipped with all of the necessary ophthalmic instruments and test apparatus for a visiting ophthalmic team to undertake patient screening in remote locations. The main part of the vehicle will retain adequate seating to carry the team and selected patients to and from a base clinic for surgical operations and other treatment.

It is intended that the £25,000 GB Pounds (Rupees 18.75 Lakhs) pilot scheme will run for sufficient time for The Kanka-Gajendra Foundation fully to evaluate cost and long term viability. Based on a positive feed-back from participants, the initiative could then be extended into new areas with the purchase of additional vehicles.

Please support this worthwhile initiative to reach the unreachable and provide the facilities to restore the sight of many underprivileged people by making a secure donation online now via the JustGiving button.

If you are a British Income Tax payer, a donation of £20 can be automatically Gift Aided by JustGiving to reclaim paid income tax of £5.60p, which value-adds your £20 donation to £25.60p. and so on, pro rata.

Thank you.