Indian Eye Clinic On Wheels

The Nayana project will take the mobile van to hospitals, train doctors on the latest treatment and machines and thus set up multiple centres of excellence.

When a big blue van topped with a satellite dish entered Arasikere, the locals were curious. In the two days that it stood at the local hospital, ophthalmologists from the local hospital teamed up with doctors from Bangalore to conduct diabetic retinopathy screenings, Flourescein Angiograms and laser eye surgeries inside the van. When patients do not come to the surgery room, the surgery room must go to the patient. That is what Vittala International Institute of Ophthalmology (VIIO) did when it initiated the ‘Nayana’ project earlier this year. The project funded by the World Diabetic Foundation includes the creation of a sustainable fully equipped mobile Diabetic Retinopathy Screening and Treatment Facilities van.

VIIO and many other organisations conduct periodic eye camps in rural areas. The diagnosis comes free. The operations too are often conducted free of charge. But surgery requires patients and their caretakers to travel long distances to a hospital, and take a week off from work. “It is sad that on an average if we see 1,500 patients during a free eye-camp, only 60-70 turn up for a follow-up visit. And only a handful come forward for treatment,” points out Dr K R Murthy, Director of VIIO. “Through the Nayana Project, we hope to reach out to the potential diabetic population of 280,000. In the three-year term of the project 12,000 diabetics will receive treatment from the mobile unit for diabetes and related vision problems of which at least 8450 people will receive the treatment free of cost.”

ndia’s Vision 2020 programme recognises Diabetic Retinopathy as one of the major causes of preventable blindness. According to Dr Anil Kapur, Vice Chairman, World Diabetes Foundation, there are 200 million diabetics in the world, and the number is expected to shoot up to 370-odd million in the next 25 years. India topped the list of diabetic countries, followed by China and USA. (Latest reports put China ahead of India on the list). “Diabetes does not receive enough concern from policy-makers even though the health and economic implications of diabetes are tremendous,” says Dr Kapur. Dr Kapur has initiated the development of several programmes and public awareness campaigns in diabetes as part of the Novo Nordisk Education Foundation and has presented numerous lectures on diabetes, in India and around the globe.

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