Eye health care, just in time

It wasn’t always possible for nine-year-old Aaliya from the Rajasthani village of Vallabhnagar to attend school and play with her friends.

She began losing her right eye’s eyesight gradually at the age of three due to failing vision. Aaliya’s family tried to get her treatment at many hospitals, but in vain; she was unable to receive a diagnosis or a prescription. 
 
Figure 1 shows a slit lamp test carried out by a vision technician to evaluate Aaliya’s eye. Her squint was discovered rather late, and if untreated, might have resulted in total blindness.

Eye health care

Aaliya wasn’t sent to one of our neighbourhood vision clinics until an Operation Eyesight community Health worker met the family during a door-to-door screening, at which point she was identified as having a squint. This ailment, also known as strabismus, makes the eyes point in various directions. Squints can affect how eyesight develops during childhood and can result in blurry or doubled vision if they are not corrected early enough in life.

For additional care, Operation Eyesight recommended Aaliya to Alakh Nayan Mandir, a partner hospital. In order to address her eye issue, she was given prescription eyeglasses and, over a period of months, patches on different eyes. According to doctors, Aaliyah would have lost her vision if correct and prompt treatment hadn’t been provided. 
 
Aaliya’s father, Yusuf, adds, “We never expected such tremendous improvement in her vision.” “We are thrilled,”

Operation Eyesight is bolstering India’s health system and making Eye Health care a standard component of basic healthcare by collaborating with hospitals and forging local relationships in communities. This strategy enables them to connect patients with their neighbourhood healthcare system and deliver high-quality eye care to those like Aaliya who couldn’t previously access these services.

Impact on Sustainability

Over 140 vision centres have been established by Operation Eyesight in India over the past six years. These facilities offer eye exams, prescription eyeglasses, and, if necessary, referrals to hospitals for specialized care. These independently funded clinics are positioned in reachable areas and staffed by qualified eye care professionals. 
India, which is home to more than 20% of the world’s blind and visually impaired people, has a serious public health problem with blindness and visual impairment. The good news is that 90% of blindness and visual impairment can be prevented or treated.

Increasing local knowledge

Additionally, they hire and educate a large number of female community health workers who do door-to-door eye exams in the target communities. These neighbourhood eye health advocates discover patients who need treatment or hospital referrals. Additionally, they offer health advice and information on a range of topics, including maternity and child health. 
 
We can give eye care that is genuinely integrated since it is preventive, and it includes treatment and follow-up care for all eye disorders, thanks to our continued presence in the community. We can concentrate on the unique requirements of patients and their families thanks to this comprehensive approach to eye care.

Fulfilling the UN’s mission

We also contribute to eradicating poverty and the underlying causes of blindness by concentrating on gender equality, advancing health and access to health services, and introducing clean water and sanitation. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are being accomplished with the assistance of Operation Eyesight (SDG).

Comprehensive Primary Eye Care

The “Ayushman Bharat” programme of the Indian government seeks to give 500 million people free access to healthcare nationwide. Although eye care is covered by this programme, there are still significant loopholes that keep many Indians from having access to high-quality eye care. 
 
Operation Eyesight is a crucial player in influencing the evolution of eye health policies in India by establishing referral channels, staff training programmes, and facility construction. Their primary eye care initiative is making eye care a significant component of local primary health care in these regions thanks to their relationship with the state governments of Arunachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. 

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