Netra Kumbh Prayag 2019

The hymn of ‘Tamso Ma Jyotirgamay’ (Oh God, lead me from darkness to light) has been part of our civilization since times immemorial, but it is humbling to know that one out of every four individuals deprived from experiencing this light is from India. Latest figures on prevalence of blindness in India stand at 0.45%, a number which seems tiny by itself, but when extrapolated to our population size, the absolute number of blind individuals in India is a humongous 5 million (some estimates stand at approximately 9 million) and there are several times more people suffering from substandard visual acuity. This year, as India geared up for the Ardh-Kumbh at Prayagaraj, undoubtedly the largest gathering of mankind in the world, we thought of making use of this mammoth congregation of people from all corners of India as an opportunity to bring lasting positive change in the life of people suffering from impaired vision. And thus, was born a Kumbh within the Kumbh- the Netrakumbh at the Ardha-Kumbh.

Vision Behind Netra-Kumbh:

Several brainstorming sessions were held to chalk out a blueprint of this noble initiative. What started as a plan of distribution of 10,000 pairs of spectacles gradually evolved into a target of screening the eyes of 2-4 lakh kumbh-yatris and distributing 1,00,000 pairs of spectacles for free over the entire duration of the Kumbh from January 12 to March 4, 2019 after complete eye check up by expert doctors.

Then it was realized that since the larger goal was always an India free of Preventable Blindness, this could not be a one-time screening and spectacle prescription exercise. Many cases would need more sophisticated interventions like surgeries for cataract and some modality for providing them to those in need would have to be included. Several other bottle-necks were identified and how they were overcome is makes for an interesting story in itself (narrated in detail further down the article).

Planning And Overcoming Challenges:

Once the sheer extent of the event sunk in, it was realized that planning out its logistics would be no mean feat.

Firstly distributing 1,00,000 free spectacles over the course 50 days, translates to screening around 5,000-6,000 patients every day- around the same number seen by the OPD of a decent sized medical college in a day. This would require services of approximately 400 Ophthalmologists and double the number of Optometrists. Another couple of hundred student volunteers from NMO were roped in as well. These volunteers were to be provided only with stay and meals by the organizers, all the other expenditure like travel had to be borne by the volunteers themselves. Yet more than the estimated numbers enrolled themselves, driven by the zest to serve the needy.

Moreover, keeping track of these many patients and maintaining proper records would require high-tech IT solutions. A special software was developed for this purpose and volunteers were trained to use it to register patients, print out their prescription cards etc. in as short a time as possible.

The on-ground logistics required would be of the size of a mid-level city hospital- right from patient registration counters, screening areas, pharmacy, lab services and boarding and lodging areas for the staff. In this aspect, the organizing team received commendable support from the local administration, which made it possible for the entire Netra-Kumbh complex to be built from scratch in just 8 days after construction began on the 1^st of January.

One problem faced was with regards to arranging operations for those who needed them to restore vision. Performing operations in the temporary camp setting was not possible due to certain legal barriers. Finally, a network of 43 hospitals across the length and breadth of India was activated, where anyone with a Netra-Kumbh card could get the prescribed surgeries done for free on showing the card.

Conventional wisdom suggests that Kumbh is an occasion where people come to give and donate, not to receive something, be it even a free eye-checkup. To counter this prevalent psychology, the event was publicized extensively in the Kumbh campus, to ensure that as many yatris as possible were made aware of the Netra-Kumbh and could avail benefit of the same.

On Ground Facilities:

The campus of Netra-Kumbh may have been built over the span of merely a week, but that does not mean it lacked any of the necessary facilities. There is a dormitory which caters to stay and meals of around 300-400 people every day. Apart from the area dedicated to ophthalmological screening, there is also facility for general OPD, free lab testing service and free pharmacy for the patients.

Coming to the main ophthalmology area, it is organized into different counters for different purposes- patient registration, initial quick screening and acuity testing, detailed visual acuity testing and prescription of corrective glasses etc. The process is so well organized and streamlined that each patient does not spend more than 3-5 minutes at any one step.

It was known that once the yatris take the Kumbh-snaan, they soon return home and thus the spectacle provision had to be made as quick as possible. To overcome this problem, pre-made pairs of spectacles of commonly prescribed powers were kept ready. If the patient’s prescription matched any of the pre-made pairs, he or she was to be issued the same. Even if the prescription was different, a new pair would be handed over in no more than 2 hours of prescription.

Netra-Kumbh In Action:

Amid frantic preparations and eager anticipation, came the D-Day, January 12^th, Vivekanand Jayanti, when the Netra-Kumbh was inaugurated.

Noteworthy is the fact that in contrast to estimates based on foreign data which suggested that less than one in three patients screened would need to be prescribed corrective glasses, at the Netra-Kumbh, almost 70-80% of those screened needed correction. This shows the degree to which the Indian population is under-served in terms of healthcare and how much of a role this noble initiative could play in this background.

Netra-Kumbh is probably the largest such temporary health screening and treatment camp in India (and perhaps the world) being organized over a duration of over 50 days. It is perhaps the first but firm step towards achieving the goal of a Preventable Blindness free India.

Netra Kumbh In Figures:

For its record-breaking statistics Netra-Kumbh’s name has been registered in the prestigious Limca Book of Records.