MFV Photoessay: Towards the Light - A journey to restore sight, independence & dignity
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Transcript of MFV Photoessay: Towards the Light - A journey to restore sight, independence & dignity
Imagine if you see the world somewhat like this -blurred, hazy outlines, contrasting light & darkness…
Towards the LightA Journey to Restore Sight, Independence & Dignity
There are an estimated 285 mn people worldwide who are visually impaired.
22% of them are in India.
80% of blindness is avoidable
The main causes of blindness are: - Cataract – 62.6%- Refractive errors – 19.7%- Glaucoma – 5.8% - Posterior segment disorder – 4.7% - Others – 7.19%
(Source: WHO: Global Data on Visual Impairments 2010 & NPCB)
(Source: WHO: Global Data on Visual Impairments 2010)
Older people are most affected with eye care problems, making it tougher for them to get through routine tasks each day.
- 65% of people who are visually impaired and - 82% of those who are blind
Are 50 years or older (globally).
Mission for Vision (MFV) was started in 2000 by the Tulsi Trust with the belief that eradicating avoidable blindness enhances productivity.
Higher productivity = social and economic equality.
MissionTo establish in partnership, a hospital in every state of India providing free, high quality eye care to the
poor.
VisionTo restore the gift of vision to every visually impaired human being irrespective of nationality, religion or
socio-economic status.
Philosophy
“Caring capitalists have a responsibility beyond ourselves, to care for the social and environmental surroundings of the business.
If the surrounding community is happy, healthy and secure, one is assured of a better tomorrow.”
Jagdish M. Chanrai, Founder, MFV
MFV today partners 17 hospitals across
12 states in India.
• Andhra Pradesh• Assam• Gujarat• Karnataka• Maharashtra• Meghalaya• Mizoram• Punjab• Tamil Nadu• Uttarakhand• Uttar Pradesh• West Bengal
Map of India is only for representative purposes. Not to scale.
MFV’s 17 partner hospitals
Bansara Eye Care Institution, Shillong
Nirmal Ashram Eye Institute, Rishikesh
Sankara Eye Hospital, Anand
Sankara Eye Hospital, Bangalore
Sankara Eye Centre, Coimbatore
Sankara Eye Hospital Jaslok Chanrai CommunityEye Care Centre, Kanpur
Sankara Eye Hospital, Guntur
Sankara Rural Eye Hospital, Krishnan Kovil
Sankara Eye Hospital, Ludhiana
Sankara Eye Hospital, Pammal
Sankara Eye Hospital, Shimoga
Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai
Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya, Guwahati
Sankara Nethralaya, Kolkata
Shri Srinivasa Sankara Nethralaya, Tirupati
Synod Hospital, Aizawl
Tulsi Chanrai Eye Hospital, Nashik
MFV provides both financial and technical support to its partners to offer high quality eye care to the poor and thus, tackle avoidable blindness.
MFV and its partners work together
Strategically planning for interventions for best possible impact in communities and ensuring high quality eyecare is provided within INR 3000 (USD 50).
Creating awareness and mobilising the community.
Organising outreach camps that help identify patients in need of preventive eye treatments including surgery.
Providing patients transportation to travel to the base hospital for their treatments.
Ensuring a comprehensive ophthalmic examination & a basic health check-up is done at the base hospital.
Skilled ophthalmologists and eye surgeons treat the patients with the latest equipment and technology, providing high quality of eyecare.
Assessing impactA core part of MFV’s work on the ground
MFV directly conducts follow-up checks on select patients after they have undergone surgery.
Home visits are conducted on 10% of the patients after a 6-month gap, post-surgery to gauge the efficacy of treatment.
As a result of this unique follow-up system at MFV, we have:
67% of them going back to work allowing them to earn their livelihood.
91% of the patients gaining good visual acuity
(WHO guidelines state: 80% of the patients should fall under good category with available correction and 90% of the patients should fall under good category with best correction.)
The home visits also help MFV monitor the care taken at the patient’s home post his/ her surgery ensuring complete recovery.
MFV's partners in India screen the eyes of over 700,000 people, and perform over 180,000 free eye surgeries annually.
In the last 6 years, MFV has given the gift of sight to over 1,000,000 people, thereby restoring their independence and dignity.
The entire journey a patient undertakes from detection of their eye problem at the campsite to their travel back home, post surgery is free of cost to the patient.
At the end of the journey, our patients regain good vision. They are able to return to work, to see properly and most important to them - regain their dignity and independence.
In the words of Raghunath Powale, a sprightly 85-year-old, “I can't express my gratitude for being able to see again. Now, I don't have to depend on anyone. I manage to do all my work on my own.”
MFV's Inspirations
“I like to play sports at school,” says 11-year-old Ganesh.
Ganesh studies in the 6th grade in a hostel for rural students. He is 11 years old. A few months ago he developed a fever and was brought home.
Ganesh's parents took him to a doctor who diagnosed cataracts in both his eyes. Through an MFV supported camp, Ganesh reached Tulsi Chanrai Eye Hospital where he recently underwent surgery in one eye.
Within a month, he will have undergone surgery in his other eye too. With his sight restored, Ganesh will be back in school in no time.
In Pics: Ganesh at his first follow-up check post surgery at the campsite nearest to his home.
“If I hadn't got my sight back, how would I have earned a living? I was very worried,” said Subhash
Deshmukh
68-year-old Subhash Deshmukh lives by himself in a rented 10x10 feet room in Sinnar town, Nashik. He works in a general goods store as a daily wage worker earning barely enough for his needs.
When cataracts developed in Subhash's eyes he was very worried as deteriorating vision meant he wouldn’t be able to earn a living or take care of himself.
Subhash attended a MFV supported outreach camp and underwent surgery at Tulsi Chanrai Eye Hospital. The blurry vision became a thing of the past.
In Pics: With restored eyesight he is back at work & is happy to have regained his independence .
“I can't see clearly, it's all a bit hazy,” complained Shantabai to the social worker at the eyecare camp.
Shantabai Bhalerao, an elderly lady was diagnosed with cataract in her left eye at a MFV supported camp in Aurangabad district.
Soon, Shantabai successfully underwent sight restoring surgery at Tulsi Chanrai Eye Hospital.
She is well on the road to recovery now.
Restoring Sight
Restoring Dignity
Providing communities with quality eye care
Renewing Hope
Mission for Vision
Strengthening health systems
Arjun WaneyDasi Budhrani
Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre
Kewalram ChanraiMB ChanraiNP KripalaniSightsaversTulsi Trust
We would not have been able to reach this far without the unstinted support of:
Thank You
To support Mission for Vision contact:
/mfvindia
+ 91 22 22824967
/m4vindia
www.mfvindia.org
music: www.purple-planet.com