Eye Camps at Mumbai – Brief Report (November 2013)
The Western Regional Committee of WCW, at its first meeting held on 17.10.2013, has decided to pursue on a regular basis, “EYE CHECK-UP CAMPS” for school children & provide free spectacles to poor students, identified & recommended by the school principal / head master.
In Mumbai area, the first such camp in the present plan was conducted on 20.11.2013, in the “Swami Sukhdevanand High School, Shirvane Village, Nerul (E), Navi Mumbai. Check-ups were conducted on about 600 students & 20 staff members.
The programme was handled by WCW in association with Varier Samajam, Mumbai (VSM). Around 20 volunteers including seven ladies from WCW & VSM jointly handled the preliminary screening & students found to have vision defects were referred to a team of 4 trained ophthalmologists, provided by M/s. Girish Opticians, Chembur, Mumbai, who had volunteered to participate in our programme & make available the services of the ophthalmologists, & the testing kits, free for us as their contribution to our programme. The programme which started around 10.30 am, ended by 3.30 pm.
The next such programme is scheduled for 29.11.13 in S.S. High School & Junior College, Seawoods (West), Navi Mumbai. This school has about 3000 students, & we may conduct eye checking on about 2000 students, (excluding primary class students). A larger team of WCW & VSM volunteers is being organized. We are also proposing to invite & involve WARRIER FOUNDATION also in the future eye check-up programmes.
By T.V. Ramachandran-President