DLF Foundation organises Free Eye Care Camp at village Baliawas

Gurgaon, December 21, 2015: DLF Foundation in collaboration with Arunodaya Deseret Eye Hospital (ADEH), Gurgaon organized a free one day eye care camp in Baliawas Village, Gurgaon. More than 60 villagers including women, men, old people, adolescent girls and children attended the camp. The camp was organised at the premises of temple of the village. The camp was organized under the supervision of Dr.Manisha Konale,Ophthalmologist, ADEH, Dr. Arun Sethi, and Dr. Reena Sethi, Senior Ophthalmologists and Director ADEH.

Dr. Manisha Konale, Ophthalmologist, ADEH examined the patients and advised them with medical help and spectacles. The patients with some eye defect were referred to Hospitals for detailed examination and required treatment. The patients with cataract were advised for cataract surgery. Spectacles were also distributed amongst the required patients. Prior to the camp, pamphlets and banners were distributed to create awareness regarding the camp. Announcement was also done with the help of mike a day before the camp to inform the villagers regarding the camp.

“This eye care camp was of great help for us, since we are unable to go out to big hospitals and get our eye checkups done. My husband and kids also attended the camp and got our eyes examined” said Sunita Yadav, a resident of Baliawas Village, Gurgaon.

India has the greatest number of blind people in the world and currently about 19 million blind people live in India of which 80% live in rural and slum areas. Unfortunately, this number is increasing every day. The problem is acute in the rural India particularly in the age group of 60 years and above. Backlog of patients suffering from eye – diseases especially cataract is huge and increasing and unfortunately Govt. Hospitals / eye surgeons in the districts are not able to cope with this challenge. Preventable blindness is one of the primary health concerns in rural India. Long distances from remote and backward areas to cities where hospitals are situated prevent patients to receive treatment. Private Doctors /Nursing Homes are beyond the reach of general masses to afford financially.

Making eye care accessible and affordable to the greater population scattered throughout rural areas is the focus of this initiative of DLF Foundation. For rural villagers, traveling to the nearest urban center for eye care may be more than they can afford. DLF Foundation in Collaboration with ADEH aimed to organize 66 such eye care camps in 33 villages of Gurgaon in financial year 2015-2016 to make eye care service accessible and affordable by reducing travel cost and time for patients.

“Through this eye care initiative, we aim to facilitate better facilities for villagers as vision related problems in these areas often go unnoticed.This initiative aims to enable people in remote areas to have access to specialized eye care facilities and to act as an interface between them and the doctors” Said Mr. Ritesh Sinha, Director, Village Cluster Development Program, DLF Foundation.

Dr. Arun Sethi, Arunodaya Deseret Eye Hospital, a unit of Arunodaya Charitable Trust, said, “Vision care is a serious problem in India which often gets neglected due to lack of awareness. We appreciate that DLF Foundation has come forward and taken up this critical issue. We are happy to leverage DLF Foundation’s experience in this area and support the cause of Literacy and Healthcare to economically backward people in Gurgaon.”