Project "NETRA AROGYA"

To provide affordable and state of the art eyecare in Ottapalam and its surrounding areas in Palakkad District, Kerala State, India, particularly to the financially weaker section of the people and Senior Citizens. The current facility is unable to offer upgraded service to the increased level of out patients.

Scaling up the facilities at the Eye Hospital by constructing an upper floor of 7500 sq ft. This will facilitate moving the Operating Theatres to the upper floor, setting up 3 additional Consulting Rooms, more outpatient waiting area at the lower level, and space to set up new services mainly a Surgical Retina Unit. It will include space for a staff lunchroom and additional toilets. The project further envisages replacing older equipment and procurement of new equipment to commence the Surgical Retina section.

The hospital has provided affordable eyecare to the community in this region for the past 12 years. 40% of the surgeries are provided to BPL card holders free of cost or on their government subsidised health insurance cards.The upgradation of services offered by replacing older equipment, building new operating theatres in the upper level, setting up the surgical retina unit at a total cost of INR 426 lakhs over the next 3 years will :

• Provide quality services at affordable fees to the rural/semi urban communities especially the less mobile elderly patients in this region;
• Facilitate serving 300-350 out patients per day from the current level of 150-180 ;
• Facilitate performing 250 surgeries per month from current level of 100 nos.;
• Provide Surgical Retina Services to the community that are not available in the 40-60 KM radius of the hospital.