National
Rolpa eye centre SMS plan helps 700 patients
Rolpa Community Eye Centre’s innovative SMS service plan helps over 700 patients receive various treatments in the district for the past one year.Kashiram Dangi
Rolpa Community Eye Centre’s innovative SMS service plan helps over 700 patients receive various treatments in the district for the past one year.
The centre distributed more than 100 sets of mobile phones along with sim cards and top-up cards to the volunteers and teachers in the district. Forty-four volunteers, all women, and teachers, who have been trained by eye specialists, have helped people with eye problems. Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology funded this programme in the district. Specialists from the institute have trained the volunteers and teachers on eye care measures. Around 400 teachers and 300 volunteers have received the training in the district so far.
The volunteers and teachers with the mobile phones can directly send their queries on eye problems to the Community Eye Centre and Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology.
“We have developed a software for SMS services. People can ask questions about their eye problems through SMS,” said Hari Bahadur Karki, an official of Tilganga.
According to Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, the campaign has mostly received positive feedbacks from all corners. In the last fiscal year, more than 700 eye patients visited the Rolpa Community Eye Centre for treatment. “Residents of remote areas have benefited from this campaign. People can ask questions and take recommendations through the volunteers in their respective villages,” said Tara Lama, chief of the eye centre.