What HCP Milestones in South Asia Tell Us
Prevention efforts in India and Nepal have hit significant milestones in 2023. Together, they tell...
Contributions At Work in India
Since our first in-country partnership in 2009, together with our partners, we have accomplished the following:
eye screenings and basic treatment
sight-restoring surgeries
Work begins in India by SightLife International to address corneal blindness with a heavy focus on developing eye banks.
SightLife International launches policy and advocacy work focused on increasing access to tissue, reinforcing operating standards and promoting appropriate reimbursement policies.
The KGMU UP Community Eye Bank, a state-of-the-art facility in Lucknow, the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), opens.
Training of local female community health workers in Nepal and India continues allowing for immediate care of corneal abrasions in remote areas. 96% of cases are resolved after four days of antibiotic treatment.
HCP Cureblindness acquires SightLife International to expand reach and magnify impact in curing blindness in India.
Through the training of community health workers in Nepal and India, more than 50,000 men, women and children in these countries have been successfully treated for corneal abrasions and their sight saved.
A milestone 200,000 patients have received a sight-saving corneal transplant since efforts to address corneal blindness started in 2009.
HCP efforts in India have expanded to include training and equipment support for programs in three regions. The Jamgon Kongtrul Eye Centre in Kalimpong provides primary eye care to patients from the Darjeeling District. Its central mission is to provide care to the thousands of patients across the region who cannot afford it.
HCP Programs in India serve eye care facilities in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir. The surgical outreach and skills transfer programs are implemented by the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology’s international outreach team and Master Trainers. Since 2004, our efforts have resulted in over 200,000 patients receiving treatment and over 24,000 sight-restoring surgeries in Northern India.
West Bengal - In 2004, HCP, in partnership with Paramita Charitable Trust, established a cataract facility in Kalimpong, India and supported the construction of a new wing in 2012. Today, the Jomgon Kongtrol Eye Centre (JKEC) in Kalimpong, India, provides primary eye care services and high quality cataract surgery to patients from the Darjeeling District. JKEC’s primary mission is to provide care to patients who cannot afford it. Paying patients who previously traveled for eye care further away can now be treated closer to home while providing income and contributing to sustainability.
Uttar Pradesh - HCP efforts in India expanded to include training, equipment and outreach support for two Kripalu charity eye hospitals in Uttar Pradesh. Tilganga master trainer, Dr. Govinda Paudel leads two high-volume surgical workshops each year providing training and direct service in the Mangarh and Barsana districts. Local eye care personnel from the UP also receive specialized training at Tilganga.
Jammu Kashmir - In 2013, Dr. Sanduk Ruit and a team from Tilganga conducted their first cataract campaign in Ladakh, near the Tibetan border. Dr. Ruit’s team returns every year to provide ongoing training through organized cataract campaigns and team of ophthalmic staff from Leh Hospital receive specialized training at Tilganga.
Cure Blindness Project
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The Himalayan Cataract Project (dba Cure Blindness Project) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; Tax ID 03-0362926. Your gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Principal photography provided by Ace Kvale, Michael Amendolia, and other photojournalists who have generously supported our work. Site design and development by Flannel
