INTRODUCTION

In Bangladesh, eye care services are inaccessible to a large number of underprivileged people living in remote rural areas. MSS launched its Eye Care Program in 2014 to address this gap. Since its inception, MSS has been providing eye care services among the underprivileged in the rural areas and urban slums. Initially, the services of ECP-MSS were confined to urban areas inhibited by the underserved people. Considering rural peoples’ limited access to eye care services, ECP-MSS expanded its services geographically to bring eye care services with modern facilities directly to them. In order to advance the goals of the ECP, the following activities were undertaken during July 2014 – Dec 2022 period.

EYE CAMP

Three hundred and Thirty nine (339) eye camps were conducted during July 2014 – Dec 2022 in different districts of Bangladesh including Dhaka, Narayannganj, Tangail, Chandpur, Pabna, Natore, Rajshahi, Bogura, Chapainawabganj, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, and Naogaon where a total of 116,140 patients were screened, 31,658 spectacles were distributed and 5,570 eye drops were given out. Forteen thousand and seven hundred eighty nine (14,789) surgeries were successfully performed by the partner hospitals of ECP-MSS. Beneficiaries of these services included members of the MSS-WCP, their families as well as the underserved members of the public.

INDUSTRIAL SIGHT TESTING PROGRAM (ISTP)

ISTP aims to provide comprehensive eye care services to the industrial workers, correct refractive errors, address other eye conditions so that they have healthy eyes leading to increased and quality production. The program was considered as an opportunity and blessing for the employees of the company, especially for the workers.

During July 2018 – Dec 2022 ISTP were conducted at eight (8) factories of Northern Tosrifa Group (Five factories), Laila Styles Ltd, Conforce Ltd and Posh Garments Ltd. A total of 6,696 workers/staffs (Female: 3920 and Male: 2776) were screened under ISTP. Of the screened workers 1,481 were provided spectacles and 1,679 were prescribed medicines to cure their various eye related problems.
To make eye care services accessible at affordable price the industrial workers were granted concessional rates. Excess of income over expenditure from ISTP were spent to operate SSTP and enhance capacity of our partner hospitals.

PURPOSE OF PILOT PROJECT

To promote safety on road through eye care services.

To provide quality eye care services to the door step.

To provide eye care services at affordable cost.

To eliminate curable blindness.

The four-day long screening program was conducted on 24-25 February 2019 at Tejgaon Truck Stand and 11-12 March 2019 at Sayedabad Bus Terminal where a total of 545 public transport workers were screened; 155 were prescribed spectacles and 291 were dispensed medicines. It was found that 68.24% drivers had refractive errors compared to 70.40% reported in the survey. Twenty four (24) cataract patients were identified of whom 11 were drivers. Out of this 24, only seven performed surgeries – of which only 3 were drivers. At these eye camps transport workers were provided eye care services including spectacles, medicines and cataract surgery at concessional rates.

NT programs generally included smaller version of public eye camps, SSTP and HERS (Healthy Eyes for Road Safety). From January 2019 to Dec 2022, total of 223 eye camps were conducted with NT. Among these, 162 were public eye camps and 61 were SSTPs. These Eye Camps and SSTPs were conducted in districts which are located between 335 to 528 kilometers away from Dhaka.

NT screened 39,183 underserved people (female – 17,731 and male – 21,452 ) where they received free eye care services. A total of 5,763 spectacles and 1,984 medicines were given out in those camps. From these 223 eye camps, 4,993 cataract patients were identified and 3,714 surgeries were performed at our partner hospitals.

In February 2020, for the first-time, after examining over 35,000 students’ pediatric cataract was identified in two students at two SSTPs conducted by NT.

Services Provided: The Eye Care Helpline provided free consultation services through audio and video calls during 10 am to 5 pm from Sunday to Thursday.

Consultation with an eye doctor

Necessary treatment & advice

Referral services to our partner hospitals, if needed

Medicine Delivery (Dhaka city only; retail price+delivery charge TK 50/-)

Raising awareness on preventing COVID-19 infection.

During June – September 30, 2020, ECH provided services to a total of 800 patients (male – 404; female – 396). They were housewives (337), jobholders (172), Businessmen (116), Students (80) and farmers (21), teachers (24), drivers (7), children (25) and retired persons (35) came in smaller numbers. These patients came from 39 districts of the country with highest from Dhaka (379) followed by Rajshahi (118). Two hundred sixteen (435) patients were prescribed medicines and another 178 patients were referred to our partner hospitals for further examination and treatment.