For Your Eyes Only! Eye Screening Camp by Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Mangaluru MC at Karnataka Coast Guard HQ 3, organized by Coast Guard Wives Welfare Association (Karnataka CG HQ# 3), at Panambur on 6 March 2020 to mark International women’s Day
Mangaluru: “For Your Eyes Only”!- we are not talking about the 1981 James Bond movie, but we are talking about an Eye Screening Camp by Ophthalmologists of Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Mangaluru organized by the Coast Guard Wives Welfare Association (CGWWA) of Karnataka Coast Guard Headquarters No 3, based at New Mangalore, Panambur, Mangaluru, on Friday, 6 March 2020, from 10 am.
Sources reveal that the blind population in the world is around 600 lakhs, and in India, it is around 150 lakhs. Nearly 8.15 lakhs are suffering from corneal blindness out of the 150 lakhs blind in India. It is necessary to do eye check-up and also preventive measures in order to control of losing eyesight. As part of International Women’s Day ( which is observed on 8 March), but CGWWA Karnataka observed it two days earlier as part of their ‘Sanjeevan Initiative’. The Eye screening Camp saw around 200 people of all age groups, including patients with diabetes and retinal diseases, who were examined by a team of Ophthalmologists of KMC.
Further, as a precursor to International Women’s Day with the theme Gender Equality”: Indian Coast Guard played a stellar role in creating awareness on Women’s Rights. The ways in which innovation can work for gender equality, boost investment on gender-responsive social systems, and enhance public services and infrastructure that meet the needs of women and girls. Innovation is shaping and changing the way people live in every part of the world, so we have to be intentional about its use to positively impact the lives of women and girls.
The Eye Screening Camp was inaugurated by Ms Sindhu B Rupesh IAS, the Deputy Commissioner of DK, along with Coast Guard Karnataka HQ# 3 Commander S B Venkatesh, Dr Anand Venugoapl- Medical superintendent, KMC, Dr Sumana Kamath-MD (Optho) at KMC, among others. Addressing the audience in her inaugural address, DC Sindhu Rupesh said, “Women are change-makers of all ages and genders and they can collectively tackle the unfinished business of women and girls empowerment in the years to come. This initiative of Eye Screening Camp by CHWWA is very important since Eyes play an important role in the functioning of the human body along with our other body organs”.
She further said, “The Eye is the lamp of Body, and I compliment CHWWA for organizing this Eye Screening camp as part of International Women’s Day and also bring awareness among the people on the safety of eyes, and prevention methods in controlling the loss of eyesight. Being a woman myself, I want to say that in the present world and also in India, Women are considered as underprivileged and are exploited. They face harassment, torture and rape, and are not safe moving around in the society. We should know that Women work more than and still they are degraded in various means. “An equal world is an enabled world” – and every one of us can do our bit to bring about gender equality. And while International Women’s Day is observed we should see that there is no discrimination in gender equality”.
On the occasion, an MoU was signed between Coast Guard Karnataka HQ# 3 and KMCH, Mangaluru, and the documents were exchanged between both parties, by Com Venkatesh and Dr Anand Vengopal, in the presence of DC Ms Sindhu Rupesh. Following words of gratitude from Com Venkatesh, and a couple of group photos, it was time for the Eye Check-Up of the people gathered, and ophthalmic medical team of KMC, under the guidance of Dr Sumana Kamath, joined by Dr Aravind (Intern-KMC), Dr Samya (PG at KMC) and Ms Ramya- Technician, KMC performed various eye tests, including eye screening of Dc Ms Sindhu Rupesh and Com Venkatesh, among others.
Prior to Eye Screening, Dr Sumana Kamath also gave an awareness talk on prevention, Treatment etc on Eyes, and explanation of Glaucoma, Cataract, Diabetic Retinopathy, Dry Eyes etc. The Ophthalmic team expressed their gratitude to ICG/CGWWA for providing an opportunity in conducting the eye screening camp, saying “It was their primary vision to provide the best care for the public. early detection will avoid complications and save vision. This is indeed a beneficial camp, where we added value for needy people”.
Com Venkatesh said that team CGWWA with support of Coast Guard Karnataka ahs been actively implementing welfare schemes for the upliftment of the people on New Mangalore under the civic action programme ‘Sanjeevan Initiative’.