COMMUNITY OUTREACH INITIATIVES
- Combating Cataract
Cataract remains by far the biggest cause of blindness in India. And the rural poor and marginalized are the most affected. Lack of awareness, geographic barriers, economic barriers, lack of infrastructure and lack of trained personnel, all contribute to the backlog that India combats.
Across SCEH network, routine screening camps are conducted in their catchment area and ensured optimum post operative vision is served to the people. In 2019-20, more than 200,000 people were screened across different geographies and over 15,000 sight restoring surgeries had been performed.
The success of this programme on the continuing help and support we receive from local stakeholders, various funding organizations and the Government of India under the National Programme of Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI).
Supporting organizations
Help Age India. | Globe Capital. | Koshika Foundation. | HT Parekh Foundation Project.
- Combating Paediatric Blindness
There’s joy and wonder everywhere when you see through the eyes of a child. But what if those eyes cannot see?
Pediatric blindness can arise out of congenital defects. In most cases, it starts with uncorrected refractive errors. Poor eyesight leads to poor performance in studies and even forces children to drop out of school.
SCEH has been at the forefront of screening school children for Uncorrected Refractive Errors since 2002. Over 100,000 children are screened every year across geographies. The focus of the programme is on reaching children without access to preventive screenings.
Free vision correction glasses free sight restoring surgeries and subsidised treatments are essential components of this programme.
These are the basic service delivery points at a vision centre. The objective is to provide primary eye care to the rural/under-privileged sections thereby increasing access, equity and coverage and reducing expenses towards inculcating positive health seeking behaviour.
SCEH’s network of vision centres play an active role in execution of this programme.
Supporting organizations
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Seva Foundation | CBM | Cognizant
- ROP Services to Infants
Preterm babies are at risk of developing a retinal condition called, retinopathy of prematurity which can lead to permanent blindness. With and objective of preventing such blindness and treating as many children born with this condition, Team SCEH provides free screening and treatment services at NICUs in Delhi.
Supporting organizations
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
- Eyecare for truck/commercial vehicle drivers
Under the project, SCEH identifies uncorrected refractive errors of commercial truck drivers on Indian Highways. The team works with partner hospitals to screen and give appropriate eye care to the drivers in need of such an intervention.