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.

Project Nayanraj, launched in 2006, is a 3-year partnership between J Watumull Global Hospital & Research Centre and Orbis International Inc. aimed at improving the paediatric ophthalmology infrastructure and outreach activities in districts Jalore, Pali, Sirohi and Udaipur in Rajasthan and district Banaskantha in Gujarat.

At the outset of the project, Orbis International Inc. sponsored the acquisition of essential paediatric ophthalmology equipment thus commissioning a fully-equipped paediatric eye care department at the P C Parmar Foundation Global Hospital Eye Care Centre, an extension wing of our sister concern the Global Hospital Institute of Ophthalmology at Abu Road. It is also assisting in training staff in paediatric ophthalmology.

Our ophthalmic staff implementing this project has a target of screening 80,000 school and pre-verbal children for ocular diseases, especially focusing on childhood ailments like amblyopia which need early detection. Children having refractive errors are being given free spectacles. Both sight restorative surgery such as congenital cataract and trauma, as well as non-sight restorative surgeries like squint and ptosis are conducted.

Besides, 1000 school teachers and 54 ophthalmologists/ paediatricians/ general practitioners are being trained in screening techniques so as to diagnose and manage paediatric ocular health problems at a primary level. Most importantly, 10,000 mothers and guardians are being educated about methods to prevent the occurrence of ocular diseases in children.