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For your eyes only

Photo: V.V. Krishnan

A SIGHT A child patient being examined at Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital

You don't associate hamburgers and finger chips with health care, but fast food major McDonald's has been making its bid to contribute towards eye care, especially of children, and in the process, perhaps salvage its reputation in the health sector! Over four years ago, The Ronald McDonald House of Charities began partnering Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital, a well-known institution of the Capital, in making the public aware of the importance of eye care at a young age and also to help cater to the needs of the economically weaker sections of society.

Dr. Suma Tekur, who works in the paediatric eye care department of the hospital at Daryaganj, points out that most people bring children for eye examination after they reach the age of seven or eight, perhaps after the child has complained about a vision problem. This, however, is not the optimum age for reversal of certain conditions, say squint, which could otherwise have been easily corrected. However, awareness raising can be as simple and effective as putting up a poster.

When the hospital put up a sign informing passers-by that every child should be screened for a squint before age three and the squint removed by seven, it was flooded with so many patients that the poster was eventually removed, say Dr. Suma and her colleague Dr. Umang Mathur.

Paediatric ophthalmology is a neglected health branch in a country where the next meal is a question mark for millions. That is where a corporate giant like McDonald's steps in with funds and other facilitation measures. The NGO Orbis is part of the team, with its DC10 airplane that takes eye care to remote areas.

"Although it raises a lot of funds and awareness, the impact it left on the people was limited. But the training was good," says Mathur, explaining that the present land-based programmes are a natural corollary of the mobile project.

Thanks to the tripartite partnership, Suma says, the hospital's equipment is of international standards, with an important component being paediatric anaesthesia.

Calling certain types of blindness, like that caused by vitamin A deficiency, a "shame" for a country like India, considering it only occurs in the most extreme conditions, the doctors point out that raising awareness through schools is the key to success. Also, since paediatric ophthalmology is a "referral thing," says Suma, paediatricians are another important link. "We have formed a referral base and hold workshops for them."

To reach the underprivileged population, they say they have also "worked with most of the NGOs". Also, there is an outreach programme at Alwar, Rajasthan. Once a patient receives primary treatment though, follow-up is sometimes neglected, especially in cases of those from outside the city. "We do have a good follow-up here," says Suma, who has been at the hospital for the past five years. Mathur adds, "We make an effort, like giving them a schedule for three months."

With World Children's Week designated in winter, the partners try to step up the awareness campaigns from July as the academic year starts.

ANJANA RAJAN

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