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Cataract is the highest cause for blindness across the world. About 62% of the total blindness is caused by uncorrected cataract. In addition to poverty and illiteracy, lack of awareness has resulted in large sections of the rural populace being afflicted with needless blindness.
Gouribidnur Taluk
Gouribidnur Taluk in Kolar district is one of the backward areas that experience scanty rainfall and has a very low per capita income in Karnataka state. This area was adopted by Project Drishti as a pilot centre for Cataract Backlog Free Zone in 1998 with the support of Manasa Medical Trust, Gouribidnur and JSF.
On an average, one free eye camp was orgnised every fortnight. According to the average figures of the National Census for Blindness (NCB), the area is today a Cataract Backlog Free Zone. This is the first programme of this kind to be undertaken by any organization in the state.
Kanakapura Taluk
Kanakapura Taluk in Kanakapura district of Karnataka is another backward area adopted by Project Drishti with the support of Jain Group of Institutions (JGI) as a Cataract Backlog Free Zone in 2001.
Weekly camps were organized every Wednesday. With screening of the patients undertaken at the village level, follow up action took place at the satellite centre set up at Jain Vidyaniketan, Jakkasandra.
As many as 50,000 patients were screened and about 3,000 patients operated upon free of cost for cataract.
To ensure continuous identification, treatment and follow up of emerging cases of cataract, Project Drishti is working on creating Cataract Backlog Free Zones . Successful pilot projects have been undertaken in Gouribidnur- Kolar district and Kanakapura- Bangalore Rural district. Under this programme, free eye screening and operation camps are held on a weekly basis. It is interesting to note that Kolar, which had the highest prevalence of blindness in Karnataka just a few years ago, is today a testimony of a Cataract Backlog Free Zone. As part of the programme, Project Drishti covers 60-70% of the entire work related to blindness control in these districts.
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 Read our Case Study
“I had begun to panic. Routine activities like walks, checking out
on time and even looking into my plate became so difficult to
perform,” reminisces MD Khan, a 60 year old farmer from Melya
village, about 10 kilometres from Gourbidnur in Kolar district. Khan,
a marginal farmer practices dry land agriculture and grows jowar
and vegetables in his two-acre plot. Without the yield, Khan’s
family
of three will certainly go hungry. Luckily for him, he was taken to the
free eye screening camp held by Project Drishti in association with
the Manasa
Medical Trust and the Jain Social Federation by
his brother.
Khan was diagnosed with Cataract of the left eye and on August
29,
2002 underwent an IOL implantation procedure under the
skilled hands
of Dr.Narpat Solanki. Post surgery, Khan’s life began
to get
better and he suggested to three of his friends to attend
the regular
camps held at Gouribidnur.
His complete faith and satisfaction in the team brought him back
the following year for the second cataract surgery on his right eye.
Says Khan: “I am very happy with the services of the entire team.
I have even brought my friend Khadarsab along for his surgery”.
A SICS with IOL implantation procedure was performed on his right
eye on February 02, 2005. Khan is now confident of being able to
work in his field once again.
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