Eye Camp Programme - HelpAge - Delhi

HelpAge India mobilized the student community to focus on ageing issues by conducting education programmes in public schools. Sending students out into the community initiated personal contact & achieved youth's understanding of the ageing dilemna in addition to creating special bonds between youth and the ageing population.

Ageing, Health, Population, Youth, Education

Students were trained in the detection of cataract with flashlights & were sent into the community to carry out their task of identifying those who needed the surgery. Students were accompanied by professional medical help but were empowered by the knowledge & responsibility given to them in addition to being able to cultivate bonds with their ageing patients. One of the 85 yr old patients said, "The children and the doctors diagnosed me as having cataract in both my eyes, but I was reluctant to go for corrective surgery because of fear and the expenses involved...finally I will be able to see my grandchildren's faces". Dr Stephen Roy, CEO of Dr Shroff's eye hospital believed working with HelpAge India was an important partnership "which produces synergy and enabled us to do more than we could individually".