Unite For Sight Programs in Orissa During Summer 2008

Unite For Sight and Kalinga Eye Hospital work in partnership to provide eye care to rural villages in the Orissa, India region.  Unite For Sight sends volunteer teams to assist Kalinga Eye Hospital with screening for operable cataracts in rural villages and bringing those with cataracts to the eye clinic for surgery.  The volunteers also participate in school screening programs, and pursue entrepreneurial projects under the guidance and direction of ophthalmologists and directors at the clinic.  

During Summer 2008, Unite For Sight coordinated and sponsored 533 free cataract surgeries for the Orissa patients.   During the same time period, Unite For Sight sent 12 volunteers to assist Kalinga Eye Hospital's optometrists and ophthalmologists, who provide eye care in rural villages.

While volunteering with Unite For Sight in Orissa, Case Western Reserve University Student Komal Patel developed an education project. She identified a need to engage children and adults in preventive measures to prevent blindness, prompting her to work with the staff at Kalinga Eye Hospital to develop education programs for children and adults. For children, Komal developed care packages for distribution in Orissa schools. The packages include donated crayons from Crayola, donated flashlights, coloring books, and small plastic eye models. For adults, Komal developed an idea to generate a poster and educational presentations at the eye camps. Komal has been named a Unite For Sight Volunteer of the Year.

Komal Patel and Nick Aurelio, identified by Kalinga Eye Hospital as the most stellar Summer 2008 volunteers, have been invited to speak as Young Leaders of Social Change at the Unite For Sight Conference at Yale University on April 18-19, 2009. The conference convenes more than 2,200 participants from all 50 states and 60 countries to exchange ideas across disciplines about global health, eye care, and international development.

Kalinga Eye Hospital and Research Center in Dhenkanal, Orissa, provides ophthalmic services in seven districts of central Orissa, covering a population of approximately .7 million. The Director of Kalinga Eye Hospital says "With the support from Unite For Sight, Kalinga Eye Hospital and Research Centre gave smile among 533 poor and vulnerable people, who never thought of seeing again. This free surgery and diagnosis has helped them in living a life of dignity. This was a great gift for them. They express their gratitude to Unite For Sight and its team. NYSASDRI on behalf of Kalinga Eye Hospital and Research Centre thanks Unite For Sight for their contribution and support."

About Unite For Sight

Unite For Sight® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness. Unite For Sight's unwavering commitment to creating a real, lasting impact involves three types of programs: chapters in North America, international eye care outreach programs, and an annual global health conference. Unite For Sight has trained more than 4,500 volunteers who work in their local communities and abroad to provide eye health programs for those without previous access and has provided eye care services to more than 600,000 people worldwide.

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