Mobile Eye Health Unit (MEHU) by ACM – MGEHRI is part of the BIG Noble Mission, which aims to eliminate avoidable blindness in the rural belts of Mayurbhanj & Balasore. The primary responsibility of Mobile Eye Health team is to screen and identify critical eye conditions such as Cataract, Glaucoma among village people and refer them to base hospital for immediate surgery.
Rangamatia, 08/09/2022: Today morning Aditya Patnaik, the Founder cum Director of Mahatma Gandhi Eye Hospital & Research Institute, flagged off the launch of a New Mobile Eye Health Van at the base hospital of MGEHRI premises in Rangamatia, Mayurbhanj. The event was graced by Er. Pratik Pattnaik, (Project Director – MGEHRI), Entire Mobile Eye Health Team, hospital staffs, and local community.
This Mobile Eye Health Unit (MEHU) is part of the BIG Noble Mission, which aims to eradicate avoidable blindness in the rural areas of Mayurbhanj & Balasore.
With an energetic team, comprising of Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, OT Nurses, Ophthalmic Consultants, and Camp Coordinator, the MEHU has been strategically designed to reach far-away villages in the Northern districts of Odisha where the blindness prevalence rate is on higher side.
MGEHRI’s Young Project Director: Pratik Pattnaik mentioned, “Mobile Eye Health is not a new thing for us. Our base hospital – MGEHRI in association with our own NGO – Antyodaya Chetana Mandal (ACM), has been managing mobile eye health projects since 2002. We mainly work in the remotest regions of Odisha which are unreached. Since the past two decades, we have been operating Mobile Eye Health Unit across the rural belts of Mayurbhanj, and Balasore districts in North Odisha. However, today we recharging-up our mission of eradicating avoidable blindness in the rurals, with a new vehicle and passionate team. I am sure this new move will definitely blend a fresh energy and enthusiasm among our team and motivate us to serve the communities even better”.
The MEHU works as per a pre-planned monthly calendar model and conducts Eye Health Screening camps at designated villages/CHCs round-the-week. The primary responsibility of Mobile Eye Health team is to examine and detect vision problems among people who are not able to visit hospital/eye-clinics despite having severe complications with eyesight.
If any person is identified with critical eye conditions such as Cataract, Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy or other severe complications, then he/she is immediately referred to MGEHRI base hospital at Rangamatia for comprehensive eye care and surgery.
As Cataract cases are very common among rural populace, especially among old-age personnel who are above 50; a majority of camp attendees are often diagnosed with Cataract and hence transported to MGEHRI for advanced cataract surgery by noted ophthalmic surgeons.
The Mobile Eye Health team also provides basic care & treatment for infections and eye diseases by dispersing necessary eyedrops and medications on the spot – All Free-of-Cost.
Talking about the future scopes of this new mobile van, Mr. Pratik Patnaik assured that the hospital management is soon planning to integrate an Optical Dispensing Unit in the Mobile Eye Health Van, which would help the rural populace to get tested for refractive errors on the camp location itself and avail spectacles/glasses instantly at a low-cost.
What do you think about this innovative model of Mobile Eye Health Unit operation in Rurals by Mahatma Gandhi Eye Hospital? Feel free to reflect your thoughts in the comments.