Since 2012, we have offered care to communities in Jharkhand, through an annual Eye Camp.
Rikhia is a rural area in eastern India, with minimal access to quality heath services and very limited ophthalmic care. The closest tertiary services are located over 200 miles away – inaccessible and unaffordable for most people in the area.
The medical camps are conducted for nine days every September and are now in their fifth year. On average 1,800 patients receive a complete eye check- up and treatment, including medication, glasses, and surgery.
During the Camp, communities from the local area are invited to attend a session. Each potential patient follows a systematic pathway, designed to offer them a full eye health check by optometrists and doctors. Medical staff and volunteers are assisted by lay volunteers, who manage a smooth process.
What happens during an Eye Camp?
1. Vision Testing:
A group of optometrists perform a thorough vision examination to assess refractive errors and prescribe corrective glasses.
2. Ophthalmologist Review:
After their vision test each patient is assessed by an ophthalmologist who performs a comprehensive review and recommends the appropriate treatment.
3. Cataract Screening:
Each patient is screened for cataracts and requiring surgery are offered this treatment.
4. Pre-operative Assessment & Counselling:
Those who are offered treatment undergo a pre-operative assessment including blood sugar and blood pressure checks, after which they are given counselling.
5. Surgical Intervention:
Once patients have been declared fit for surgery and have consented to treatment they are operated on in a nearby medical facility.
6. Education:
Several patients attending the camps come with incurable eye conditions which in many cases could have been avoided if detected and treated in time. One of the main objectives of our work is to teach the community how to recognise signs and seek treatment early in order to prevent blindness. In addition, patients are educated about the value of nutrition and during the camps children are provided with multi-vitamins and vitamin A supplements due to the high prevalence of night blindness in the region.
How are Eye Camps funded?
Treatment at the Eye Camp is completely free at the point of use for the people who attend. The Camps are entirely funded by donations.
All donations for the eye camp directly benefit patients, in various ways. The majority have funded the treatment and medication dispensed to patients at these camps. Some donations were directed towards hiring the safe, clean facilities and essential provisions such as medical equipment needed in order to run the eye camps. The remainder of donations went towards providing food to surgical patients, whom in many cases are extremely fragile and malnourished.
The Serve2See management team consists of working individuals who have come together and privately funded all our projects with family and friends. As a charity every penny spent goes towards our causes and directly impacts those we are helping. Every member and volunteer is responsible for covering their own travel and expenses.
With our new projects come new challenges, which is why Serve2See officially registered as a UK charity in 2015 to help reach our more ambitious goals and bring high quality eye care to even more people who need it. Learn more about the MESU Project or donate.
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