Vision for young rural Jharkhand concludes in Khunti
life has come to a halt for 10-year-old Vinita Bage, whose eye was injured in an accident while playing with friends in her village under Torpa Block of Khunti district. The accident made her leave the school and stay back at home due to partial blindness. There was no light at the end of the tunnel as Bage’s family could hardly afford expensive treatment in Ranchi about 80 kms from her village.
However, after about two and half years of dark days in her life, the child found a God sent blessing in the guise of team members of the Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank (KMEB) who organised a free eye check up camp in Bage’s area. The medics not only detected the problem of the child but brought her to Ranchi to be treated by noted Ophthalmologist Dr Bharti Kashyap.
Bage, alongwith five other kids, went through surgery at Kashyap memorial Eye Hospital in Ranchi and now the kids can continue their education and rejoice the moments of their childhood. After successful surgery by Dr Kashyap the kids would be able to join their respective schools in few days.
The six kids, who underwent surgery, were not the only lot that got benefitted by the benevolent works of the KMEB. The charitable wing of the KMEH in collaboration with Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and Khunti district administration organised several camps in the naxal affected areas of Khunti district under Vision for Young Rural Jharkhand initiated by the KMEB from August 8 this year.
Over 1,000 kids were brought for free eye check up in the four phase camps and about 500 kids were found having eyesight problems. As many as 455 children were distributed free spectacles and large number of kids was given free medicines, vitamins and eye-drops.
The Vision for Young Rural Jharkhand is the brainchild of the founder Director of KMEB and State IMA Women’s Chapter president Dr Bharti Kashyap. Dr Kashyap has been relentlessly waging a war against eye related ailments in rural areas of the State as she has conducted free eye check up camps in Palamu, latehar, Khunti and other naxal affected areas of the State.
The programme culminated at the multipurpose hall in Khunti today as senior officials of the district administration including DC Samson Soy, SP Anish Gupta, DSE Nilima Allen Toppo alongwith Dr Kashyap and others distributed free spectacles to 461 kids, who were found to be suffering from eyesight problems during the camps.
Notably, the kids who were operated did not have their names mentioned in the health-cards distributed to their parents. They could not avail the benefits of the government provided health cards, sources revealed. The kids did not even have the bare minimum funds to arrange for their food during treatment, they added.