Helping Earthquake Victims Restore their Eye Health Report 2

Name of Organization: NEPALESE ASSOCIATION OF OPTOMETRISTS (NAO)

Name of the Project: Helping earthquake victims restore their eye health.

Location of the Project: Dolakha District comprising Sahare, Pawati, Lamidanda, and Kabre VDC

Project Duration: August 2015 to September 2016

Names of other funding and / or implementing partners: (including all government, educational, institutional and local organizations) and their function.

Implementing partner: Camps were implemented in partnership with BP Eye Foundation (an NGO in Kathmandu who had a medical team comprising of general physician, gynecologist, psychology counselor, pediatrician, otologist and other support staff).

Key Objectives of the Project.

1. To examine people for eye health problems,
2. To provide needy people with medicines, glasses and referral for surgery,
3. To support poor families with sanitary goods,
4. To raise awareness on post earthquake infections and maintaining environmental/ personal hygiene in the community.

Key Project Inputs:

1. Two health camps were held in earthquake affected villages of Dolakha District.
2. Distribution of free glasses and medication to people in the village.
3. Distribution of sanitary goods to poor families.

Key Achievements and Targets:

1. A total of 1035 people were examined comprehensively for their eye health problems in two villages (Lamidanda and Pawati) of Dolakha District by a team of optometrists.
2. A total of 768 people were provided with an intervention. Medicines were given to 445 people. The medicines mostly comprised of tear substitutes, antibiotics and anti-allergics. 278 people (most of whom were presbyopes) were provided with glasses. Minor lid repairs and foreign body removal was done in 5 people who sustained injury from the disaster. A total of 40 required cataract surgery; they were counseled along with their family members and were referred to a tertiary hospital in Kathmandu (B.P. Koirala Lions Centre) having facilities of the required care and management.
3. 80 families (40 in each village) were provided with sanitary packs; each pack comprising of 2 pc each of soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, towel, hair oil, razor, shaving cream, sanitary pads and water purifier solution.
4. An awareness raising program was held in both the villages on the theme "Risk of Infection after Earthquake" and "Maintaining environmental/ personal Hygiene." More than 500 people participated in the program.

Details of outputs

Activity Sites:

• Lamidanda V.D.C Dolakha
• Pawati V.D.C Dolakha

VDC	Male	Female	Total
Lamidanda	299	215	514
Pawati	310	211	521
Total	550	282	1035

2. Common Ocular Conditions  Diagnosed 

Ocular condition	Sahare	Kabre	Total
Refractive error (causing Visual Impairment)	155	123	278
Cataract (VA 6/60 or less)	18	22	40
Poor ocular hygiene related conditions (blepharitis, conjunctivitis, ocular allergies etc)	85	135	220
Ocular injury, foreign body	2	3	5
Pterygium, Pinguecula, dry eyes	89	136	225
Total	362	286	768

3. Intervention Provided

Intervention	Sahare	Kabre	Total
Medicines	174	271	445
Glasses	155	123	278
Lid repair/ FB removal	2	3	5
Referral for cataract surgery	18	22	40
Total	349	419	768

4. Support to poor families (providing of sanitary goods)

40 poor families in each village; that is a total of 80 families were provided with one sanitary pack each.

5. Awareness on ""Risk of Infection after Earthquake" and "Maintaining environmental/ personal Hygiene."

Participants from

Lamidanda VDC= 310

Pawati VDC= 220

Total= 530

Key Challenges and Key Learnings

Key Challenges 

1. Roads to the camp site were damaged by the earthquake and works for maintenance was going on. In Lamidanda, we had to walk about 5 km to reach the campsite. The local volunteers helped us to carry camp equipment and consumables to the camp site.
2. Identifying poor families for distribution of sanitary packs. More people than expected visited camps with the hope of getting one.
3. Frequent power cuts disturbed usage of some medical equipment. The battery operated equipments and generator were carried for backup.
4. Shortage of food at camp sites gave discomfort for the camp team.

Key Learnings

Project Objectives, Achievements and Outputs

SN	Project Objectives	Achievements	Outputs
1.	Organize four health camps, one  each in four earth quake affected villages of Dolakha district	One health camp each was held in Lamidanda and Pawati VDC	1035 people examined for ocular conditions
			786 people provided with an intervention
2.	Support poor families with sanitary goods to maintain personal hygiene	40 families in each village of Dolakha provided with a sanitary pack	240 people (assuming 6 people on average per family) benefitted with sanitary goods
3.	Raise public awareness on "Risk of Infection after Earthquake" and "Maintaining environmental/ personal Hygiene."	2 awareness raising programs held, one in each village of Dolakha district	530 people participated in awareness raising program

Summary of Expenses (August 2015- April 2016)

SN	Particulars	Amount allocated for Aug- April (NRs)	Expenses (NRs)	Balance  (NRs)
A	Expenses common for all programs
i.	Transportation of technical team from Kathmandu	100,000	95,000	5,000
ii.	Daily allowance for technical team from Kathmandu	200,000	205,000	5000
iii.	Salary of project coordinator	360,000	360,000	0
iv.	Stationary and printing	45,000	43,000	2,000
v.	Communication and internet	45,000	42,500	2,500
B	Expenses for specific programs	0	0	0
1.	Holding Eye Camps	0	0	0
i.	Camp advertisement	10,000	12,000	-2,000
ii.	Venue rental	10,000	10,000	0
iii.	Generator rental	10,000	14,000	-4,000
iv.	Refreshment for volunteers	10,000	14,000	-4,000
v.	Medicines	40,000	42,000	-2,000
vi.	Glasses	120,000	135,000	-15,000
2.	Support poor families with sanitary goods	150,000	150,000	0
3.	Development of health awareness materials	0	0	0
i.	Remuneration for resource person	60,000	55,000	5,000
ii.	Designing and layout cost	20,000	10,000	10,000
iii.	Printing cost	150,000	140,000	10,000
3.	Organizing Health Awareness Program	0	0	0
i.	Audio video rental	20,000	20,000	0
ii.	Consumables	2,500	2,500