Barsana Healthcare Centre had its seeds sown through Barsana Eye Camp by group of doctors (who in turn founded the Bhaktivedanta Hospital ) & inspiration behind the project ‘H. H. Radhanath Swami’ were on a pilgrimage to Barsana, Mathura Dist., UP in the year 1992. They identified the need to conduct eye camp to reduce needless blindness from the cluster of 120 villagers surrounding Barsana. The camp became a regular feature after it received an overwhelming response from the local communities & nearby villages in Barsana. The need & the magnitude of blindness triggered in starting a full-fledged facility offering specialized Eye & Dental care under one roof to poor & the needy sections of the society in that area. Thus free services are offered during the camp and throught the entire year.
The facility is currently equipped with an Eye OPD, Operation Theater (OT), Pharmacy & Optical Shop with plans to expand into a full-fledged dental facility in the future.
Every year 2500 pateints are screened and 1000 patieints operated during the camp. During the daily OPD’s about 12000 patients are screened and about 1500 are operated annually.
What are the objectives of the Barsana Healthcare center ?
The objectives of Barsana Healthcare Centre are as given under : –
1) Reduction of needless blindness as per WHO Vision 2020.
2) Offer quality dental care to the local communities.
3) Provide general healthcare & surgical facilities to the needy.
Share Your Care, the community service wing of the Bhaktivedanta Hospital has been conducting the eye camp since 1992 when a group of founding doctors visited the site & identified the need for conducting such camps for villagers affected by Cataract. Over the years approximately 80,000 patieints have been screened and 10,000 patients were operated for Cataract and other eye related problems.
In the initial years equipments, medicines, lenses & microscopes were trasnported from Mumbai to Barsana & volunteers would take efforts to build a fully-equipped sterile Operation Theater(OT)two weeks before commencement of the camp. A total of 200+ volunteers comprising of physicians, Opthalmologists, Nurses & Assistants came forward for serving this cause. It is held during January-February period every year. Later, camps were held during the first week of every month which has now become a daily activity considering the magnitude of blindness.
Salient features & services rendered at the camp site are as follows: –
1) Thorough pre-operative checkup
2) Operation theater of international standards
3) Cataract surgery with IOL (Intra Ocular Lens)
4) Opthalmic equipments of international standards
5) Free food & accomodation for patient plus one relative for 3 days
6) Hot snacks for patients for all days of the camp during the OPD
7) Eye drops & medicines for 40 days after discharge
8) One pair of dark glasses
9) One woolen blanket (due to cold climate & poverty)
10) First follow up after 4 days
11) Final follow up after 40 days
One eyed patients and children needing specialized care and treatment beyond the scope at the camp facilities are brought to the Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mumbai and they are provided to and fro facilities free of cost from Barsana. Ever year over 2500 patients are screened for Cataract & approximately 1000 surgeries are performed during this camp.
Various research publications cite that higher dental & oral hygiene results in improved quality of life of an individual. Appropriate dental care is of utmost importance for providing the right amount of nutrition to the body. Dental hygiene is spoilt with chewing of Tobacco/Gutka/Matka/Pan & smoking of cigarettes. (Add Diabetes affecting Oral Hygiene)
Incidence of dental & oral issues are reported maximum in Barsana & adjecent villages in India due lack of awareness & education.
Hence, Share Your Care at the Bhaktivedanta Hospital tries to address this issue by conducting the dental camp every year along with the eye camp during the same period since the year 2000.
What are the salient features of the dental camp ?
The highlight of the dental camp : –
1) Quality & compassionate dental care
2) Well-qualified & reputed Dentists
3) Dental equipments of international standards
4) Dental checkup & screening including Scaling, Extraction, Filling & Dentures for the needy.
Dentists, volunteers & paramedical staff take efforts to setup a full-fledged dental facility comprising of equipments, chairs & wash basin while rooms are converted in to a perfect dental OPD prior to the commencement of the camp.
Snacks are also provided for the patients during the camp. Every year more than 2000 patients attend the dental camp for various dental procedures. Education & awareness programs are conducted by way of skids/dramas/street plays during the camp.
Share Your Care has many avenues where one can participate: –
1. Corporates who are looking for CSR partnerships
2. Individuals who would like to support such causes
3. Charitable Trusts for achieving for their objectives etc.
You too can ‘Share Your Care’ by volunteering to support patients during Barsana Annual Camp or in Daily activities at the Barsana Healthcare Center.
Sponsorship are also available for medical equipment’s, upgrading of medical facilities, infrastructure, specialized mobile healthcare units/vans etc.
The individuals can be also year mark the personal calendar based on life events and share joy with the needy.
Donor naming opportunities are available for various projects with mutual consent.