SiB: Addressing Poor Geographic Representation

SEVA India & LV Prasad Eye Institute India

This story highlights the work that LV Prasad Eye Institute did in response to poor geographic representation within some of their mentee hospitals.

Naraindas & Morbai Budhrani Eye Centre was established at Rayagada District, Odisha in August 2015 and provides eye care services to all needy people of Rayagada district and surrounding areas. When SCALE started in April, LVPEI visited the hospital and saw that the people who have their own transportation and come from nearby villages (around 6KM radius) are accessing the services at the centre. However, people living beyond 10 Km distance who do not have local transportation facilities are not coming for eye care services. Furthermore, there is a lack of awareness among these people further away about timely treatment of eye care problems.

Realizing these issues, LVPEI organized a meeting for administrators from four hospitals. The workshop reviewed the current performance and developed a plan to increase the reach of the hospitals. At the beginning of the training, participants mapped all the villages in the target areas. They then consulted the key opinion leaders of each village, and made a weekly/ monthly roster for community eye care programmes planned in the coming year.

The eye centre planned to start its eye care community outreach activities in and around a 20-30 KM radius from the centre.

A community outreach team (Community coordinator, Field worker and Driver) were selected and given training at LVPEI’s Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care (GPR ICARE) Hyderabad.

Following the meeting in the first quarter, the community team is in the process of covering all identified areas/villages one by one and continues to follow up with the people treated for eye diseases.

We look forward to reporting on the change we expect to see at the Naraindas & Morbai Budhrani Eye Centre.

Heidi Chase
Director, Innovation & Sight Program
Seva Foundation
[email protected]