Kathmandu: The Himalaya Eye Hospital Pokhara, run by the Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh, has provided free eye surgery services to 953 people in various districts of Karnali Province.
The hospital in last fiscal year 2082/83 conducted free eye camps for the communities in remote districts that were far from access to services.
According to Subas Nepal, the chief of the hospital’s external programmes, last fiscal year the hospital provided eye treatment services to over 17,649 citizens of that province.
During that period, 7,217 people received free eye check-ups through external programmes, while 10,432 people received eye treatment services through the hospital’s eye care centers, according to a press release issued by the hospital.
Under Himalaya Eye Hospital, there are eye treatment centers operating in Karnali Province at Chandannath Eye Hospital in Khalanga–Jumla, at Manma–Kalikot, at Simkot–Humla, at Sinja–Jumla, and at Gamgadhi–Mugu.
These hospitals, treatment centres, outreach programmes and free eye camps run at the community level have been providing eye examinations, treatment, necessary advice, and surgical services to people living in geographically remote areas.
According to Dr. Babita Gurung, the chief medical director of the hospital, the hospital provided eye treatment services to 188,914 people last fiscal year through its outpatient department alone.
The hospital stated that 106,459 women and 82,498 men benefited from the service. Among the total beneficiaries, about 56 percent are women and 44 percent are men.
Surendra Thapamagar, Chairman of the Himalaya Eye Hospital Management Committee, informed that a plan has been promoted to further expand and strengthen specialized eye treatment services in Karnali Province.
“There is a plan to provide regular specialist services through an eye specialist based in Jumla and to render services in the other three districts of Karnali by establishing ‘surgical centre’ there so that eye surgery services are available locally,” he said.
According to him, the hospital is taking initiatives to expand specialist and surgical services to the remote areas at the district level in the province to reduce the need to travel far even for basic eye care and eye surgeries.
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