- Health Care Programs
- Sustainable Development
- Disaster Relief
Kids bring creativity, awareness to World Environment Day
Ganeshpuri, India— On June 5, the people of Ganeshpuri celebrated World Environment Day with activities organized by representatives from PRASAD Chikitsa, and from local schools and youth groups. At the Primary School of Ganeshpuri, enthusiastic children created drawings and Rangoli to express how trees benefit both people and the environment. Read more…
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Donor, Margareta Blix, is celebrating the life of her beloved late sister, Gudrun, with a grant of up to $20,000 that will provide a dollar-to-dollar match for new donations to PRASAD Children's Dental Health Program (PRASAD CDHP) received through October 31, 2010. Read more...
“Paddlers for Humanity” Open Ocean Paddle to benefit PRASAD Children’s Dental Health Program
Sunday, September 5th
(rain date September 6th)
Save the Date & Register!
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Three generations of Manze women open their eyes to a new world
Janu Manze got married at a young age of 16. Three years later, her husband deserted her because Janu had lost sight in both her eyes to cataracts caused by malnutrition.
Janu was not the only person in her family suffering from cataract-related blindness. Her 45-year-old mother, Vanita, too, was rapidly losing her vision. Unable to care for her husband and three daughters, Vanita asked her mother to live with them to help around the house. Tragically, even Vanita’s 65-year-old mother was afflicted by cataracts.
None of them had ever considered treating their blindness because they couldn’t afford the treatment on the meager income they earned as shepherds. Fortunately for them, PRASAD Chikitsa’s volunteers diagnosed their cataracts during one of the frequent eye camps held around the Tansa Valley.
The three generations of Manze women were brought to PRASAD’s Gurudev Siddha Peeth Netra Chikitsa Hospital, and operated upon on the same day.
It was one of the most moving sights when their bandages were removed and all three of them could see each other clearly. Even the ward nurse was reduced to tears.
PRASAD Eye Care Programs, India
Cataract-related blindness is a huge problem in India, and cataracts account for 80 percent of the visually impaired in the country. Of the millions of people with cataracts, most cannot afford corrective surgery and are not even aware that their blindness can be cured.
Loss of vision inevitably leads to a loss of livelihood, reducing those suffering from cataracts to a state of complete financial and physical dependence. It also affects their interpersonal and social relationships. Untreated, they lead lives of loneliness and darkness.
The problem has been particularly acute in the Tansa Valley, in Maharashtra, India. Most of the inhabitants eke out a living on under Rs 2,000 ($50) a month. A majority of those suffering from cataracts in the region are illiterate. In addition, most of them cannot even afford the cost of transport to the eye hospital.
In the 1990's, PRASAD Chikitsa began holding free eye camps in the Tansa Valley, and subsequently set up the PRASAD Netraprakash Eye Clinic. PRASAD expanded the clinic into the Gurudev Siddha Peeth Netra Chikitsa Hospital in August 2003, to provide more comprehensive care to the growing number of patients. The hospital has an in-patient ward with 25 beds, and an outpatient clinic, with the latest eye care equipment. Cataract surgeries are usually performed on an outpatient basis, but the hospital has an in-patient ward to ensure that patients get proper post-operative care, which is critical for a full recovery.
PRASAD's outreach program plays a critical role in ensuring that inhabitants of the valley get proper care. PRASAD volunteers fan out across the valley and conduct eye screenings daily and cataract camps once a week.
But their job does not end with identifying those in need of treatment. When first approached, many of the villagers are apprehensive, and volunteers have to earn their trust and persuade them to undergo treatment. Volunteers also hold follow-up camps to ensure that there are no complications among patients who have undergone surgery.
Between 2000 and 2009, PRASAD volunteers have visited 206,800 houses and reached about 973,000 people. They have held 236 screening camps involving about 50,375 patients.
Like other PRASAD health care programs, its eye care programs are supported by income generated from treating patients who can afford the nominal charges.
PRASAD Eye Care Programs, Mexico
In 1997, PRASAD expanded its eye care program into Mexico, where thousands of people, many of whom lack access to health services, develop cataracts each year. Initially partnerships were established with various health care and government organizations. Then, in 1998, PRASAD de México began to sponsor eye camps in rural areas in Mexico. By the end of 2009, PRASAD had held 128 eye camps.
PRASAD de México also has provided hundreds of children with specialized surgery to correct strabismus, a physical defect commonly called cross-eye. In this condition, the eyes are aligned improperly, which results in limited or blurred vision or complete loss of vision. As a result of surgery, children who have been teased and ostracized at school are given the chance to lead productive lives.
Altogether, more than 19,100 adults and children in Mexico have received
eye surgery as a result of the PRASAD de México programs.
- Click here to read about our General Health Care, Dental Care, Community Health and HIV/AIDS programs in Tansa.