Children's Eye Care Week

The David Brown Children's Eye Care Centre at our Kode Venkatadri Chowdary campus in Tadigadapa, Vijayawada commemorated Children's Eye Care Week from November 14-20, 2011, by conducting a range of activities:

  • Parents Support Group meeting for families of children with eye problems to share experiences and help one another
  • Painting competition on the theme of firecrackers and safety of the eye — 400 children (including differently abled children) participated at a dozen centres
  • Eye screening of 170 deaf children at Madonna Special School for Deaf and Mute
  • Eye screening of 80 children at Vijaya Mary Integrated School for Blind
  • Screening programs in association with Lions Club of Vijayawada, covering 1800 children in 8 schools
  • Articles in newspapers about pediatric eye diseases: refractive errors, childhood cataract, retinopathy of prematurity, glaucoma, etc
  • Live Radio interview on Red FM
  • Free check-up for all children below 16 years of age at The David Brown Children's Eye Care Centre
  • Public lecture on Childhood Blindness: What Each of Us Can Do with talks by Dr Gullapalli N Rao, Chair, LVPEI, Lions Club members and Dr Niranjan Pehere, followed by prize distribution to the winners of the painting competition.

Honours & Awards

Dr Fairooz PM won 3 awards at EyePlasty 2011, the annual conference of Oculoplastics Association of India (OPAI) at Kanpur — Best Video, Best Scientific Paper and the Quiz. November 2011

Dr Virender Sangwan received the first annual "Leadership in Uveitis" award instituted by the Lux Biosciences Steering Committee at the Ocular Inflammation Congress in Goa. November 2011

Prof Sai Prakash, Principal, Bausch & Lomb School of Optometry, LVPEI, nominated for felicitation on the occasion of the celebration of the International Year of Chemistry, 2011, in recognition of his contribution to Chemical Education, by the Indian Chemical Society.

Alumni news: Dr Ramesh Murthy, former fellow and consultant at LVPEI, received the Achievement Award and the International Ophthalmologist Education Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. October 2011

83rd primary care Vision Centre inaugurated

LVPEI's 83rd primary eye care Vision Centre (VC) was inaugurated at Kapileshwarapuram in East Godavari district on November 20, 2011. The VC is unique in that its entire cost was borne by local philanthropists, led by Dr V Rammohan Rao, Chairman, and Mr GVB Choudary, Managing Director, of Surya Charitable Trust. Dr Mohan Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, InfoTech Enterprises Ltd., Mr Gopal Rao, IAS (Retd) and Dr Gullapalli N Rao, Chairman, LVPEI, graced the inaugural function, which was attended by over 500 people. The VC is expected to serve 50,000 people in 30 villages and will be monitered by our Kode Venkatadri Chowdary campus, Vijayawada.

Mahindra Satyam supports new rehab centres

LVPEI's Vision Rehabilitation Centres launched two new services on November 9, 2011: 'Program for Early Intervention in Children' and 'IT Training Centre for Visually Impaired' at its Hyderabad campus. The centres are supported by the Mahindra Satyam Foundation (MSF). Varsha, 14, a client of the rehab centre since she was 3 months old, began the program with an invocation to Lord Ganesh. An autistic, multi-handicapped child, she is currently a 10th class student

Mr Vinod Khanna, Trustee, MSF said they were privileged to partner with LVPEI. A part from financial assistance, MSF has committed to find placements for clients trained here, as the empowerment of the visually impaired is an extraordinary responsibility.
Ms Beula Christy, Head, Dr PRK Prasad Centre for Rehabilitation of Blind and Visually.

Handicapped said the rehab centres have helped 98,000 clients till date.The project is unique to the state and will help 750 multiple handicapped children per year, using a multidisciplinary team approach.

Another client, Shravya closed the program with a song. She thanked “Beula aunty for supporting me since my childhood and making me the person I am.”

Ms Beula Christy talks about the child rehabilitation services to Mr Vinod Khanna

A Children's Day program for the Association of Parents with Childhood Glaucoma (APCG) was organized on November 14, 2011 by Dr Anil K Mandal at LVPEI’s Kallam Anji Reddy campus, Hyderabad. The XVII annual meeting of APCG brought together young patients who are coping with childhood glaucoma, along with their parents and siblings. Dr Mandal, who heads the initiative for treating childhood glaucoma stressed the need for early intervention with sustained follow-up among children so they could benefit better by corrective surgery and treatment.

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National Disability Awareness campaign

The ‘Badhte Kadam National Disability Awareness 2011 campaign’ was launched by the National Trust (Odisha Chapter) for the welfare of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities at LVPEI, Bhubaneswar, on November 3, 2011. Shri Prafulla Samal, Minister for Woman & Child Development, Govt. of Odisha, inaugurated the day-long program, which was attended by over a 100 organizations, NGOs, parents people from various

of special children and members of the press. The event was organised by the Open Learning Systems (OLS) as the state nodal agency of the Trust.

A day in the sun

The Vision Rehabilitation Centres at KAR campus, Hyderabad organized their 14th “Fun Camp for Visually Impaired Children” on November 12. Over 150 visually impaired children and an equal number of siblings, family members, staff and volunteers enjoyed a picnic on the lush lawns of a city park. The wide range of games and competitions included a frog race, tug of war, passing the ball, quiz, and group relay — all organized keeping the

children's special needs in mind. All the children received prizes and gifts. The event was supported by Jersey Creamline Nutrients Ltd, ITC Grand Kakatiya, and a host of LVPEI staff and volunteers.

We had a great time on Saturday and the camp
was very inspiring. I sent some photos to England
and my family think it is a wonderful and unique
idea. There are no camps like that in England.

Louise Sowerby (Volunteer at LVPEI)

A victim of terrorism from across the border

The town of Kurram Agency, near the Pakistan – Afghanistan border in the Khyber Paktoon Province is a hotbed of terrorist activity and also a major market centre. Syed Mehdi Hussain, 20, plies a taxi during the day and goes to a night school. On the evening of February 18, 2008 Hussain was driving in the crowded narrow lanes of the Para Chinar Bazar of the Eidgah market, when a suicide bomber detonated a powerful explosive that killed 64 and injured over 200 people. Hussain was thrown out and his taxi totally destroyed, burnt to cinders. He was seriously injured — broken ribs, punctured lungs, multiple fractures in his right hand and severe damage to both his eyes.

Blinded and broken, Hussain spent almost 3 months in intensive care at a hospital in Peshawar. He was practically blind and had to depend upon others in his day-to-day life.

Hussain's father, a farmer could not do very much for him. Despite promises by local politicians, he did not receive any government compensation. Through the efforts of relatives and friends, Hussain moved to Islamabad, where

the Al Shifa Trust took up his case. A friend Adil Raza scoured the websites of eye hospitals all over the world and came upon the LVPEI site, where doctors readily agreed to take up his case.

Hussain and his cousin Irfan Haider took the 12-hour bus journey from Lahore through the Wagah checkpost to Delhi and flew into Hyderabad on September 21, 2011. On October 10th, he underwent a complicated combination surgery in his left eye for his retina and to place the Boston K-pro as an artificial cornea. He did well post surgery regaining ambulatory vision. On October 24th, he underwent another surgery to place the Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (AGV) to ease the intraocular pressure build-up in the eye. Hussain returned home happy that he could now see well enough to be independent in his daily life. He was grateful to the doctors and staff at LVPEI who were extremely supportive and also subsidized his treatment costs.

India Vision Institute sets its sights high

LVPEI and Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI), Australia, signed an MoU to establish and support the India Vision Institute (IVI) to upgrade the Indian eye care education sector and help in the development of a vibrant vision industry. The MoU was signed on November 16th by Professor Brien Holden, CEO of BHVI and Dr G N Rao, Chairman of LVPEI, at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi in the presence of the New South Wales Premier Mr Barry O'Farrell, Australian High Commissioner Mr Peter Varghese, and Vice Chancellor of the University of New South Wales Prof Fred Hillmer.

Awareness and children's
screening programs

LVPEI's GMR Varalakshmi campus conducted an educational program and a free screening for children and their parents on November 13, 2011, in association with the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA). The program included an animation film Twinkling Sight; on the need for screening schoolchildren made by Symbiosis; a skit by the staff on Myths in Pediatric Ophthalmology; and a quiz on pediatric eye diseases. The screening camp covered 154 children. Coupons for free eye-checks were given to the families of the prize-winners of various cultural activities. Vice-president of VUDA Mr K Sashidhar inaugurated the program and suggested that it be made an annual event. The campus has launched a 3-month free screening program for children below 16 years of age and the elderly at its City Centre.

Dr Sachdeva lights the lamp; also seen
Mr Sashidhar & Dr Fernands

Our Support in November

Asansol

Mr Sanjib Ghatak

Bhubaneswar

Mr Chhoton De

Mr Kshitish Chandra Mohanty

Mr T Suresh Rao

Ms Kirteemayee Roul

Mr Swachha Sisira Samantaray

Maruti Poultries

Bangalore

Mr Dheeraj P

Mr L Dadlani C/o St Marks Hotel Pvt Ltd

Bhallar

Mr G Harikrishna

Gudivada

Mr Chiranjeevi Guntur

Hyderabad

Mr Soman Abraham

Mr Omprakash Agarwal

Mr Gudsoorkar Ashok

Ms Sonia Dhop

Mr P V Koteswar & Ms Saradadevi

Mr TSR Anjaneyulu & Ms Hanumathi

Mr K K Kesavan

Mr Ramesh Kekunnaya

Mr Purushottam & Ms Varsha Kulkarni

Mr Nagarajan

Mr PK Sai Prakash

Ms Vijaya Lakshmi Ramam

Dr A V Sridhar Rao

Ms Akhila & Mr Ravi Krishnamurthy

Dr Virender S Sangwan

Mr B V L S Sarma

Mr Saurabh Sagar

Ms S Thirumalai

Mr Sandeep Varghese

Ms Neena Verghese

Mr A Jachin David Williams

Kolkata

Dr Monimoy Ghosh

New Delhi

Ms Preethi Kumar

Charities Aid Foundation India

Palakonda

Mr B V M Prasada Rao

Rajamundry

Mr Venkata Ramkrishna Darla

Rae Bareli

Mr Anurag Srivastava

Vetapalem

Mr VV Suresh

Tanzania

Mr Ashok T Chande

UK

Ms Sharda M Madhuvani

USA

Mr Amarjeet Singh Bhasin

L V PRASAD EYE INSTITUTE

Kallam Anji Reddy Campus Patia, Bhubaneswar GMR Varalakshmi Campus Kode Venkatadri Chowdary Campus
Hyderabad
 Orissa
 Visakhapatnam Tadigadapa
Tel: 91 040 30612020 Tel: 91 0674 39892020 Tel: 91 0891 39892020 Vijayawada
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