- B-10,Housing Board Colony, Kankarbagh - Patna
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School Eye Screening Program
School Eye Screening Program – “Vision for Kids”
(Sri Sai Eye Hospital, Best Eye Hospital in Patna for Children Eye Care)
Magnitude of Blindness Among Children in India
- Global Context: India is home to 20% of the world’s blind population, making pediatric eye care a national priority.
- Blindness in Children: Around 2,70,000 children in India are blind — the highest number in any country.
- Visually Impaired Children: Approximately 9.3 million children in India are visually impaired.
- Preventable Blindness: Nearly 50% of childhood blindness is avoidable through early eye check-ups and treatment.
- Age Group: 1 in 1000 children between 0–15 years are blind in India.
- Economic Burden: Childhood blindness causes a huge economic loss of around $118 billion annually in India.
Childhood Visual Impairment in Bihar
In Bihar, an estimated 14,56,000 children suffer from refractive errors. Studies suggest that 8 in 10 school-going children face some form of eye problem. Children from rural and urban slum areas are the most affected, with over 80% never having an eye check-up.
Visual impairment in children is more devastating than adult-onset blindness due to its early impact on learning and development. In developing regions, school-age children (6–14 years) represent over 25% of the population. However, many face barriers like poverty, school dropout, and lack of access to quality pediatric eye care in Bihar.
Recognizing this gap, Sri Sai Eye Hospital, the best eye hospital in Patna, designed a special outreach initiative focusing on school eye screening in Bihar to detect and treat childhood visual issues early.
Objectives of the Program
- 1. To eliminate barriers to eye health for school children in Bihar and nearby regions. To improve the quality and accessibility of school eye health services.
- 2. To create a sustainable environment within schools where children feel comfortable accessing regular eye check-ups and treatment.
Program Implementation
Although Sri Sai Eye Hospital (SSEH) has conducted numerous outreach activities across Bihar focusing on adult eye care and cataract surgery, the hospital realized the urgent need to address childhood blindness.
Thus, the “Vision for Kids” program was launched—an innovative, child-centric School Eye Screening Program by Sri Sai Eye Hospital Patna, targeting children aged 6 to 15 years. The screenings are conducted directly in schools and have been running successfully in Patna and surrounding districts for over 14 years.
The Program Includes:
- Computerized Eye Check-up by qualified optometrists in Patna
- Distant & Near Vision Testing and Refraction using modern equipment
- Free Distribution of Carl Zeiss CR-39 Plastic Lenses for children with refractive errors
- Amblyopia Screening (lazy eye detection)
- Colour Blindness Screening
- Free Eye Surgeries for cataract and squint correction in children
Through “Vision for Kids,” Sri Sai Eye Hospital, Patna has established itself as a comprehensive children eye care provider in Bihar, ensuring early detection and treatment of visual problems among students. The initiative not only enhances eye health awareness but also increases regular patient flow to the base hospital, strengthening SSEH’s mission of “Af ordable, Accessible, and Quality Eye Care for All.