Multispecialty Camps

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our efforts have continued without multispecialty camps. Diagnosis of patients with visual complaints, and their treatment, including cataract operations, happens after self-referral via our established village schools network, at our partner hospital, Vision Plus Eye Hospital, Amritsar.  Between July 2020 and December 2021, 708 eye operations were done in this way, free of any cost to the patients.

Since 2008, ASR has held 3-6 health camps annually, with various specialists voluntarily providing free advice and treatment to patients. If necessary, they advise on further investigations and treatment, including operations, which are funded entirely by ASR.

The focus of the camps is vision and in particular cataract, the leading cause for blindness worldwide. India has more people with cataract than any other country, and diagnosis and treatment rates are much lower than desired due to many factors. These include environmental and healthcare system related factors, and many people being unable to access specialist care.

Those patients found to have cataract have their operations carried out free of charge, with all expenses including transport and follow-up being arranged by ASR. They are performed by an ophthalmologist in Amritsar, who uses advanced techniques, including phacoemulsification and specific intra-ocular lenses.

In addition to cataract, patients with all types of medical problems are seen at the camps. Many other operations have been arranged by ASR, including gynaecological, ear, general surgical and orthopaedic operations, for both adults and children. Free reading glasses are provided to those needing them, and other investigations and treatments are arranged and funded by ASR.

See below for a summary of how many we’ve served through our multispecialty camps and pictures from the camps and operations.