A group of
Optometrists and students from the Bausch & Lomb School of Optometry
conducted a vision screening program on 26th May 2013 at Sishu Vihar, a state
run orphanage in Hyderabad. A total of 124 children as young as a month’s old
baby to 6 years of age were screened.
Of the total
number screened, eleven children were identified to have ocular problems and
were referred to L.V. Prasad Eye Institute for further management. These
children were examined and appropriately treated free of cost. The common eye
conditions in these children included refractive errors and strabismus. Besides
this, there were children who were anopthahlmic (no eyeballs) or who had
multiple disabilities (e.g. cerebral palsy) and were in fact left in the
orphanage for such reasons. The LVPEI rehabilitation department is providing
training to two such children.
Sishu
Vihar's administrative staffs were very supportive and happy to receive the
team from LVPEI for the vision screening. They helped in setting up the
arrangements for examining the children. Some of the caretakers also asked the
team to check their vision, which the team did willingly. Many of the elderly
caretakers were recommended refractive and presbyopic corrections.
The kids in
the orphanage were extremely happy to see a group of 'new' people visiting
them. Usually, young children are not fond of hospitals or health care
professionals. On the contrary, many of these children were very disciplined,
stood in lines and cooperated well for their eye check-up. The optometrists
also enjoyed providing services to the kids, and made the children recite and
sing alphabets and rhymes. The children who came for a referral visit were
cooperative and did not fuss and cry whilst getting their eye drops or for
getting their fundus examined. Prabhakar, a 7 or 8 year old boy who only has
one functional eye and is also speech and hearing impaired, was so excited to
be checked that he opened his eyes wide with his tiny fingers to help the
optometrist do her job!
This screening served as a good
opportunity to extend LVPEI’s services to a part of the society that is often much
neglected.