At NIO, Charitable OPD is conducted every Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, with the aim of making high-quality, appropriate eye care accessible to all. Senior citizens are charged a nominal fee for check up and surgeries performed at conessional rates.The District Blindness Control Society has designated certain rural areas in Maharashtra like Nhavra to NIO.
The Govt. Primary health centers in coordination with NIO, a team of doctors in a tempo traveller reach the villages. Doctors screen the patients for cataract and they are brought to the hospital for free cataract surgery. Along with the free surgeries, patients are looked after well by a medical social worker. Food, tea, snacks are provided free to the patients. Post operatively dark glasses are given to patients and they are all transported back to their respective villages. A closed follow up is maintained for all the operated patients. NIO doctors visit the native place of each patient after 3 days of surgery, each week. Every week 10 to 15 such cases are operated free of cost.
Apart from these activities, NIO has also tied up with Rajeev Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana for the benefits of patients who are economically weak (but are not leagally classified as below poverty line). Under the IPF scheme many such patients are operated at NIO.Complicated retinal surgeries, corneal surgeries, squint surgeries etc are predominantly covered under this scheme.
NIO caters to not only rural population for its community services but also to people living in urban areas who are economically weaker. The same high quality and appropriate eye care is made available to these patients. Senior citizens free eye check up and surgeries at concessional rates is carried out periodically.
NIO believes in delivering wholistic eye care. Hence, cataract not being the only potentially blinding problem, other eye diseases, like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy screening is also carried out. Patient education and awareness about both glaucoma and other eye diseases is the first step towards treating these causes of irreversible blindness. NIO conducts patient education lectures on these topics.
Pertaining to paediatric eye care, free screening camps are conducted periodically focusing on children eye care. Problems like red eyes, frequent rubbing of eyes and glasses and squint are diagnosed and corrected.
NIO conducts school screening camps in various reputed schools in Pune city ( Urban ). Along with Kirloskar Pneumatic Group NIO has been screening rural children and distributing glasses to these kids (Children themselves are given option of choosing frames of their choice !). Eye surgeries are also done for children who need them, free of cost to the parents. NIO and Kirloskar together bears the expenses of the entire screening and treatment process. Till date 25000 children have benefited from this venture and this association aims at helping several more years to come.
Along with Indian Medical Association (IMA ñ Pune Branch) NIO started a unique concept of ìEye Check Up On Wheelsî. A van fully equipped with state of the art ëTele-Ophthalmologyí facility was made available with the help of Novartis Company. As many as 800 patients were screened for Diabetic Retinopathy. Each patients retina was photographed and the images were immediately seen by retinal specialist via internet and the patients received their consultation immediately. The erstwhile Mr. Pratap Pawar inaugurated this endeavour.
NIO has also forged a bond with Sakal Social Foundation and has donated Rs. 5 Lacs for screening camps all over Pune district and free of cost cataract surgeries. ìTanishkaî a Sakal venture is also closely associated with NIO. Glaucoma screening, Diabetic Retinopathy screening, Myopia guidance and paediatric eye disease camps were conducted. Needless to say, huge number of patients availed this opportunity. Meticulous follow up of these patients is carried out till the end of treatment and even thereafter.
NIO believes that the fit mind resides in a fit body. NIO conducted a marathon with a city based group ëPune Runningí on 30th March 2014. Doctors of NIO themselves completed the half marathon (21 KM), all for glaucoma awareness.
