World Sight Day is observed on second Thursday of October. This year, it is on 13th of the month. It is celebrated to raise the awareness of the people towards eye care and draw the attention of the masses on visual impairment and blindness. There are approximately 1 Billion people globally who suffer from near and distant visual impairment. Unoperated cataract is the major cause of visual impairment. It affects one in several ways like hampers the school and work opportunities, distracts one from social interaction and creates dependency on others for routine activities too.
To combat this problem of visual impairment, there are several organizations which arrange free eye checkup camps from time to time from where one can get the free treatment, counseling for the eye care from the expert and specialist eye surgeons. Here we are providing you a list of such organizations that work on non- profit basis for correcting the vision.
Globe Eye Foundation:- It was founded in 1955 by Sunder Ram Shetty as non-profit organization which is delivering eye care services through its eye hospitals in the Southern part of the country. It provides free eye care services mostly and paid services are subsidized.
Its vision is, “To create and deliver a quality eye care system which is easily accessible to every citizen.”
Sightsavers:- It is a global organization that has been working in India since 1966. It focuses on providing the eye health services to the remote areas of the country and also fights for the rights of the people with disabilities. From the past years, it has also educated, counseled, trained and rehabilitated people who suffer from cataract, visual impairment and blindness. It works in almost 30 countries to save sight of the people.
Its vision is, ”A world where no one is blind from avoidable causes and where visually impaired people participate equally in society.”
Seva Foundation:- It is a global non-profit eye care organization that works with the aim of “You can make miracles happen.” It spreads awareness for the eye health and available eye care services. Its eye health education programs give an insight of nutrition, eye injury prevention and personal eye hygiene. It has its own network of local eye care service providers, field workers, female community health workers, teachers and others who spread the word about preventing eye disease and the available services.
Anugraha Drishtidaan:- It is a national level NGO which works with the aim of providing High Quality Eye Care Service Programmes all over the India. It is planning to focus on the people living in the rural, backward areas and those living below poverty line.
Dera Sacha Sauda:- It is a non-profit and spiritual organization that is working in the area of giving proper treatment and care to people suffering from visual impairment, cataract, glaucoma. ‘Yaad-E-Murshid’ free eye camp is organized in Shah Satnam Ji Speciality Hospitals, Sirsa by Shah Satnam Ji Research and Development Foundation, Sirsa. It is conducted every year from December 12-15 in the pious remembrance of Revered Shah Satnam Ji Maharaj. Expert doctors, paramedical staff and eye surgeons provide their services in this mega eye camp free of cost. The registration for the camp starts from 10th of the December.
The volunteers of Dera Sacha Sauda also provide a good array of hospitality services ranging from providing food, taking the patients for the urinals to their complete care and hygiene. The patients are treated like own family members by the volunteers. The paramedical staff and eye surgeons take every possible care of the patients while treating them.
This camp has bagged world records in its name too. It holds Guinness World Records and Asia Book of Records with the largest eye health screening of 4603 people on December 12,2010. In the year 2013, again this camp made another Guinness World Record with the largest eye screening of 11,715 people. This camp has benefited lakhs of patients so far and provided them the gift of good vision without spending a single penny.
Thus, World Sight Day is a day to create awareness among masses for correcting the visual impairment and protect them from various eye diseases. Taking care of eyes is very much crucial as eyes are the delicate part of the body. Do regular eye checkups for your good vision and as well of your loved ones.
