GLAUCOMA WEEK PROGRAMME AT EYE MICROSURGERY AND LASER CENTRE, TIRUVALLA,KERALA
The EMLC, Thiruvalla (Amita Eye Care) and its charitable wing VASM Charitable Trust Eye Hospital at Thiruvalla, organized various program for World Glaucoma Week- 10th – 16th March 2024. Similar to the previous years, our activities were aimed to spread awareness among the people about glaucoma and thus to reduce the burden of the disease.
All activities were conducted by implementing the theme for this year“ Uniting for a Glaucoma free World”. Emphasis was on the family members of known Glaucoma patients to undergo screening for Glaucoma.
Health education programs for the general public were conducted in several formats.
Through an article on Glaucoma written by our consultant Dr. Gopisree Nair was published in the Malayalam Manorama newspaper dated 11.03.2024. A short video film created, directed and produced by our staff was displayed in the outpatient department waiting areas in both our hospitals. A Placard show prepared by our optometrists was performed at the roadside in front of VASM OPD and Amita Eye Care OPD. Pamphlets with information on Glaucoma were distributed to those visiting hospital and to the general public walking along the road, bus and Taxi stand and nearby shops.
There were talks by doctors on Glaucoma awareness in the OPD waiting area at both centres.
Interactive awareness sessions were conducted for the nursing students and faculty from Thiruvalla Medical Mission Hospital and Pushpagiri Medical College, Thiruvalla.. Classes were conducted for total of 253 participants in four sessions on 12th and 13th March 2024 by our doctors. A certificate of participation was distributed to the participants.

A Questionnaire in Malayalam and English was circulated to patients and bystanders to find out their knowledge about glaucoma by answering nine questions. Feedback was obtained from 572 people during glaucoma week. Out of these 389 were aware of Glaucoma, of which 35 had a family history. Among the 572 responders, 332 had an eye checkup within the last 2 years and but 240 responders never had an eye checkup.
Free Glaucoma screening camps were announced for the week through advertisements in the local newspapers, Instagram, website and Facebook pages of our hospital. Screening camps included free vision, intraocular pressure and optic nerve head assessment with slit lamp biomicroscope by our expert doctors.
A glaucoma screening was conducted for all our staff. Those who were glaucoma suspects were advised to undergo a detailed glaucoma evaluation.
101 staff members were screened for Glaucoma. Of them, twelve were disc suspect, four had high IOP and five had a positive family history of Glaucoma. Of these four had suspicious discs. Of the total sixteen glaucoma suspects fifteen underwent perimetry, Pachymetry and OCT, and none was diagnosed as having Glaucoma. All suspects were advised revaluation within a month or two.
Like the previous years, this year we could also conduct subsidized glaucoma follow-up evaluations, including perimetry and OCT, for our regular glaucoma patients. Free Glaucoma medicines were also distributed to the economically poor patients who visited our hospital during this period.
This year, we tried to widen our Glaucoma awareness activities by trying to introduce more publicity-attractive projects. On the first day of the week, we had a “ Green dress code” for all our hospital staff. We tried to alert a broader community through newsletters, Social media posts, talks, screening camps, videos, etc.. and thus to join our hands in the global initiative of eliminating Glaucoma blindness.

Organized by

EYE MICROSURGERY AND LASER CENTRE

Contact: Dr. Amita Verghese
Contact Email: emlctvla@gmail.com
https://we.tl/t-Nij7R6P1bI


Category: Awareness

When?

10/03/2024 - 16/03/2024
9:00 am - 5:30 pm
iCal

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Where?

KERALA
International Complex
Thiruvalla
Kerala
689101