Nepal Eye Hospital, Tripureshwor is going to run a free eye camp for 500 cataract surgeries. For this, DAK Foundation for Equity will provide financial and technical assistance to the hospital.
On the occasion of the 16th Annual General Meeting of the hospital, it was informed that based on the need and survey, 20 eye test camps, eye programs in 10 schools and operating surgery camps in nine different places will be conducted within this fiscal year. Chairman of the hospital, Dr Gopal Prasad Pokhrel, said that the hospital would expand its services in collaboration with social organizations, make eye health education public and give high priority to the use of latest technology in the field of eye treatment.
He said, "Primary centers and quality enhancement mechanisms are being expanded to facilitate access to citizen for eye treatment." Established 48 years ago for eye treatment services in Nepal, the hospital has been providing quality treatment services at low cost. The hospital, which is moving ahead with a program to expedite the expansion of access to eye services, has been providing services by a manpower of 15 specialist doctors.
The hospital has put forward a program to set up additional centers at three more places including Sankhul, vision centers of Khokna, Tokha and Thankot. Outside the valley, an eye care center has been set up at Simara in Bara and a study is underway at Bhachchek in Gorkha.
Amidst the risk of COVID infection, 65,429 people received services from OPD from the hospital in the last fiscal year and 68,000 people are expected to receive that service in the current fiscal year. According to Meghraj Gajurel, secretary of the hospital's board of directors, the hospital conducted eye examinations of 5,007 people and operated 465 surgeries in the last fiscal year. Similarly, 2,733 people had benefited from the seven eye test camps. The hospital has been treating people above 80 for 25 percent and the poor for free and at a concessional fee.
The hospital had provided full and partial relief to 1,008 patients last year. According to the report submitted by Treasurer, Savita Bhandari, the hospital earned Rs. 119.11 million in the last fiscal year 2077/78. The founder of the hospital, Dr Ram Prasad Pokhrel, expressed happiness over the progress made in eye treatment services and manpower growth in Nepal and attributed it to the hospital.
Chief of the hospital, Dr Kamal Khadka, informed that the hospital is trying to extend eye treatment services to remote villages. The eye hospital is currently providing eye treatment services to an average of 400 to 600 people daily.
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