Orbis India Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 4

Our old DC-10 Flying Eye Hospital before its final flight to the Pima Air & Space Museum.

Vol. 2 Issue 4 Oct | Nov | Dec 2016 Orbis India publishes a quarterly newsletter spotlighting Orbis’ activities and events, latest news from partner institutions, upcoming events and inspiring stories along the Orbis journey. We welcome you to browse, read and share this!

From the Director’s Desk

2016 was an exceptionally good year for Orbis India. We launched nine new projects across the

country addressing eye health challenges facing our communities. In keeping with our focus on

children, we intensified our work on the issue of uncorrected refractive errors through our Refractive

Error Among Children (REACH) Program. We also welcomed eight new members to our Orbis India

family adding significantly to our internal capacity.

Other highlights from 2016 include development of Competency-Based Assessment Rubrics for

optometry and related disciplines, launch of the Preferred Practices in Pediatric Ophthalmology for

India - a much awaited publication which is the collective work of Orbis and our partners, and

inauguration of Vision Vans in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to deliver primary eye care to

communities right at their door-step. It also gives us great joy to take forward initiatives such as our

comics which are released every year on World Sight Day to make eye care more acceptable to

children. Globally, we unveiled our much-awaited next-gen Flying Eye Hospital and welcomed our

new President and CEO in addition to all the great work our colleagues do around the world.

As we usher in the new year, I’d like to thank our donors, partners, and my team

for their invaluable contributions in making 2016 memorable and meaningful. On

behalf of all of us here at Orbis, I wish you and your team a very happy, healthy

and fulfilling New Year! May all of our dreams and aspirations come to fruition.

Dr. Rahul Ali

Country Director - India Orbis International

Annual Partners’ Meet 2016

The Partners’ Meet is an annual event which we and our partners greatly look forward to. In 2016 it was

held in New Delhi. Mr. Anil Parasharami, an expert in KAIZEN and Lean who has over 20 years of

experience implementing the same across organizations conducted sessions on improving ‘Institutional

Quality through KAIZEN philosophy.’ Mr. Ravi from Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital and Dr. Suneeta Dubey

from Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital further threw light on adopting the philosophy through their

respective hospital case studies. On day two of the meet, all partners were urged to come up with ideas

to implement KAIZEN in their institutions. This was followed by sessions on the India Childhood

Blindness Initiative network and recent initiatives by the Orbis team.

#SPECTACLES ARE BEAUTIFUL –

A unique campaign to encourage

children to wear glasses

It is with great pleasure that we introduce

Orbis’ one of a kind campaign to remove

stigma around wearing glasses, especially

among girl children. The campaign, was kick

started on the eve of Children’s Day at the

popular Raahgiri event in Connaught Place.

We received an overwhelming response at

our photo booth where children and young

people gathered in huge numbers. Some

children also shared their stories of being

teased for wearing glasses. The event was

organized in association with Qatar Creating

Vision and VISION 2020: The Right to Sight

India. With efforts such as this, we hope we

will be able to – slowly but surely – eliminate

the stigma of wearing spectacles and make

people realize that spectacles are indeed

beautiful.

Preferred Practices in Pediatric Ophthalmology for India launched at AAPOS-

SPOSI conference

We launched our much-awaited publication, Preferred Practices in Pediatric Ophthalmology for India at

the Intercontinental Perspective of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus - a Joint Conference

organized by American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) and

Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmological Society of India (SPOSI) in December 2016. The book is

our effort to consolidate the knowledge and practices of our partners. We would like to take this

opportunity to extend our gratitude to Dr. T.S. Surendran, the Sankara Nethralaya team and all other

contributors in making this publication possible. At the conference, Orbis also hosted a symposium,

Pediatric Ophthalmology Practice and Teaching in the Developing World and set up a booth to display

and distribute our resources.

C.L. Gupta’s work in Moradabad

showcased overseas

Valerie Kleeman, Jane Ray and Robert Pyburn

from Whicker's World Foundation visited C.L.

Gupta Eye Institute (CLGEI) in Moradabad to

capture the Vision Van in action. Known to make

impactful documentaries, the foundation’s crew

followed children in their journey through

examination, surgery and post-operative care.

The documentaries also captured primary and

secondary school screening camps which

included the Vision Van’s visit to a school in

Moradabad where kids were screened,

prescribed and provided spectacles. Stories and

footages from their visit were aired on BBC

Channel Islands and Newsround as well as

Jeugdjournal, the Dutch version of Newsround.

We thank Alan Whicker and the Whicker’s World

Foundation for generously supporting CLGEI

with the Vision Van.

Vision Van at Susrut Eye Foundation & Research Centre launched

The Vision Van at Susrut Eye Foundation & Research Centre, Kolkata was inaugurated in November

2016 by Mr. Richard Y.S. Chiu, Deputy Ambassador, Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in

India in the presence of Mr. Peter Sun, Assistant Representative, TECC in India, Dr. Rahul Ali, Country

Director – India, Orbis International and Dr. R.C. Paul, renowned eye surgeon and Secretary of Susrut

Eye Foundation & Research Centre. The van is essentially designed with an aim to serve the patients in

remote areas and serve as a tool for generating eye health awareness.

New round of Orbis comics

launched on World Sight Day

On World Sight Day, we launched our

second edition of Orbis comics. The

maiden edition received a very warm

welcome amongst kids and we have

worked with Diamond Comics again to

continue making eye care fun and

entertaining for children. At the VISION

2020 Seminar on “Stronger Together”

held in Hyderabad, the comics were

launched by Dr. Promila Gupta,

Deputy Director General (O), Ministry

of Health and Family Welfare,

Government of India. At the event she

lauded the initiative saying that comics

are a fun and innovative way to reach

out to children and educate them

about eye health. The comics are

currently available in English, Hindi

and Bengali.

Compliance in Financial Practice - Orbis’ first ever finance meet for its partners

Orbis conducted its first ever Finance Meet with the theme ‘Compliance in Financial Practice: A

paradigm shift in approach – from Reactive to Proactive’ in December 2016. The two-day event saw Mr.

George Koshi, a well-established Chartered Accountant, explain The Foreign Contribution

(Regulation) Act (FCRA). Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal, a noted Chartered Accountant as well, further

conducted an engaging session on ‘Recent Changes in Income Tax, Service Tax, and Societies

Registration Act.’ We received a very positive response from our partners and hope to hold more such

sessions in the future.

Orbis awarded for its work towards eliminating Childhood Blindness

The Sadguru Award was conferred upon Orbis India by Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya (SNC), Chitrakoot

at a conference on Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus titled ‘Sadguru Conclave – CONVERGENCE

2016.’ The award was in recognition of Orbis’ contribution in the field of childhood blindness and

development of pediatric ophthalmology as a distinct sub-specialty in the Indian ophthalmology

landscape. The conclave was organized in collaboration with American Association for Pediatric

Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS). Around 300 delegates including national and international

participants were in attendance. The conference also had interactive case discussions, video-assisted

skill transfer and a quiz session.

Look who visited the Orbis India office

Mr. Charles Carlson, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, Doha and Mr. Paul Paterson, Qatar British

Business Forum visited the India office along with Emma Bye from Orbis UK. They travelled to partner

locations - Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya, Chitrakoot and Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital’s facility in

Vrindavan to see our work in action. Geoff Bugbee, Visual Communications Consultant and Silvana

Vivas, Communications Associate visited H V Desai Eye Hospital, Pune and Sadguru Netra

Chikitsalaya, Chitrakoot to document patient stories while Kristie DeKoker, Director - Major Gifts from

our New York office visited us and travelled to Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital, Bihar and Dr. Shroff’s

Charity Eye Hospital, Delhi to see our work in the community.

During a school screening camp conducted by Sankara Nethralaya, an Orbis partner hospital, Vinston

was identified with congenital cataract. Upon speaking with the family, we understood that the nine-year-

old was facing a gradual reduction in vision for the past two years in both the eyes. Vinston was a high

performing student and was among the top three rank holders in class. What appalled his parents was

that he failed in all subjects in the recent past. After he underwent surgery, as advised by the doctor,

Vinston regained his vision. What did Vinston have to say? “I’m really happy to have my vision back. I

think I can read well and also be like my friends.” Treated by Dr. Sumita Agarkar of Sankara Nethralaya,

Vinston found much inspiration from her. “I love my doctor and I want to become like her.” says Vinston.

Soon after, the little boy and his parents expressed great delight at his ability to study at the same

capacity as he did before. The fourth grader was extremely glad to be able to go out and play again.

Stories along the

Orbis journey!

Upcoming events

January 11 – 13, 2017

8th International Course on Ophthalmic and Oculoplastic Reconstruction and Trauma Surgery, Vienna, Austria

February 04, 2017

19th Rotterdam Glaucoma Symposium, Holland, Netherlands

February 05 – 08, 2017

Bridging disciplines and disparities: Connecting eye research with health outcomes, Brisbane, Australia

February 10 – 12, 2017

21st European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Winter Meeting 2017 (ESCRS 2017), Maastricht

Netherlands

February 16 – 19, 2017

75th Annual Conference of All India Ophthalmological Society Conference, Jaipur, India

March 01 – 05, 2017

32nd Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress (APAO), Singapore

March 15 – 16, 2017

9th Global Ophthalmology Summit, London, UK

March 20 – 21, 2017

Ninth Ocular Diseases Drug Discovery Conference, San Diego, California

March 23 – 25, 2017

4th Evolving Practice of Ophthalmology Middle East Conference 2017, Dubai

March 24 – 25, 2017

2nd Retina and Glaucoma Symposium, Lodz, Poland

April 02 – 06, 2017

American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) Annual Meeting, Nashville,

Tennessee

May 05 – 09, 2017

American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Los Angeles, California

May 07 – 11, 2017

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Baltimore, Maryland

June 01 – 03, 2017

30th Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS) Annual Meeting, Hangzhou, China

June 05 – 06, 2017

2nd Global Pediatric Ophthalmology Congress, Milan, Italy

June 28 – July 01, 2017

7th World Glaucoma Congress, Helsinki, Finland

Upcoming events

India Country Office,

6th Floor, Fortune Tower II,

Plot No. 406, Udyog Vihar Phase III,

Gurgaon, Haryana - 122016, India

Tel: 91-124-4284601

Fax: 91-124-4284602

Email: info.india@orbis.org

Orbis is a leading global non-governmental organization that has been a pioneer in the prevention and treatment of blindness for over 30 years. Orbis transforms lives by providing the skills, resources and knowledge needed to deliver accessible quality eye care. Working in collaboration with local partners, Orbis provides hands-on training, strengthens eye care infrastructure and advocates for the prioritization of eye health on public health agendas. In India, the focus is specially on children, where Orbis has established the world’s largest network of Children’s Eye Centers: 31 centers across 17 states.

When we can see, it can be easy to take our vision for granted. But giving vision to someone who doesn’t have it is life-changing. And we change lives!

Orbis International