Our community ophthalmology project was kick-started in 1997 thanks to support from the Ministry of Health, Government of India under its National Programme for Control of Blindness. Over the years, the project has changed the lives of thousands of villagers afflicted with cataract or glaucoma causing blindness by offering sight-restorative surgical procedures.

The project is presently being implemented by the ophthalmic staff stationed at J Watumull Global Hospital & Research Centre, Mount Abu and at the P C Parmar Global Hospital Eye Care Hospital at Abu Road. Community coordinators from these units travel extensively seeking to garner support from village leaders and local social organisations, such as the Rotary International and the Lions Club, to reach out to more patients.

The recurring expenses incurred towards arranging field screening camps to identify mature cataract cases and the subsequent hospitalisation charges of villagers needing surgery is partially met through Government support. Private donors, charities and individuals, help close the gap between the expenses incurred and nominal charges recovered from patients who can afford the cost of health care.

In 2006, we entered an agreement to partner Orbis International Inc. to launch Project Nayanraj, an intensive, focused effort to improve the ophthalmic health of children and adults in districts Jalore, Pali, Sirohi and Udaipur in Rajasthan and Banaskantha in Gujarat. For more details of Project Nayanraj, click here.