Vedanta Pioneers Special Project on Eye-Care at Jharsuguda (India)
As a part of its Corporate social Responsibility, Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. kicks off special project on Eye Care (Correction of Refraction of Vision)for its community people at Jharsuguda. The project aims to treat 5000 patients in First phase.
Online, April 21, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Vedanta Aluminiun Ltd. as a part of its sustained endeavor to uplift and promote general well being and Health among its community has initiated a series of 'correction of refraction of Vision' health camps under its pioneer project "Drishti" in partnership with a local NGO, Grace Vision which is a partner agency of District Blindness society Jharsuguda. This Eye Care initiative will cover all peripheral villages of VAL project area and so far has covered Brundamal, Burkhamunda, Katikela, Kurebaga. The first such camp got kicked off at Katikela and Burkhamunda on Thursday last, wherein many elderly people, women children and villagers participated along with their family members. The initial camp saw treatment availed by over 100 patients and as of date more than 500 patients have got benefited. This initiative aims to screen 5000 person for refractory error in the first phase.
In Jharsuguda, there are many cases of preventable blindness but the biggest problem faced especially in a rural set up, by the community people, is lack of awareness, difficulty to access and avail, affordable eye care facility.
Dr K. K. Sharan, Head Community Health VAL believes that out of total such cases Refractory error of vision predominates almost in all age group, especially above age group of ten years. Refractory error of vision impairs the learning abilities of children as the written words are nor clearly visible & thus not understandable, he said. The house wives, those engaged in earning livelihood for family, motor vehicle drivers, suffer more in delivering their day to day activities.
The refraction camps are being conducted at Panchayat Bhawans or Village school premises, where the trained & experienced technical staffs in Eye Care examines the children, youth & Sr Citizens with help of opthalmoscope , snelen vision chart, refraction test glasses and other latest equipments. For those who are found requiring lenses and frames for correction of Vision, these are being fabricated by expert optical assistants, which are being handed over them in the presence of Village peer group.
This initiave has been widely welcomed by the village community across all age groups. Tribikram Singh, Sarpanch Brundmal, expressed his deep gratitude for this health care initiative of VAL.