Spectacle Distribution at Balwadi

Spectacle Distribution at Balwadi

The eye and health care project at Mumbai Smiles provides eye/health care screening and treatment facilities to the underprivileged communities. The project aims to increase awareness and improve access to eye/health care services. Mumbai Smiles has successfully carried out many camps for eye checkup in partnership with Haji Bacchu Ali Eye Hospital, Vision Foundation of India and Aditya Jyot Hospital. Since its inception, the project has reached out to a total of 6,705 general beneficiaries. These beneficiaries are screened for refractive errors, cataract and other treatable eye diseases and accordingly provided requisite treatment such as cataract surgery.

With the same objective, we recently carried out an eye checkup for our Balwadi kids and distributed free spectacles among children with refractive errors. The main objective was to detect refractive errors and distribute spectacles among these children. The screening was done across all 25 Balwadis in the month of December 2014, in collaboration with Aditya Jyot foundation, and 2nd round checkup was carried out in the month of January 2015. 55 children were detected with refractive errors.

A total of 37 spectacles were distributed among children on 10th Feb 2015. Children and parents were given instructions on proper care and use of these spectacles. 

Overall, the entire initiative was a success, thanks to Suresh Harke (FCO Balwadi) and Balwadi teachers and assistants for their full coordination.