Eye Check-up Camp

At the Eye Check-up Camp organized on World Sight Day, 8th October 2007, by Sri Sathya Sai Sewa Organization (of New Delhi) at MCD Primary School in Vikaspuri, Dr. Narendra Kumar, Trustee, Eye Care India, flanked by volunteers, examined 138 students, and those with ‘departures from normal’ were advised as under:

Rx for antibiotic eye drops - 12
Rx for vitamin B-complex - 13
Rx for multi-vitamin tabs. - 1
Advice for checking up of patency of lacrimal passage - 1
Advice for refraction check-up - 20
Advice for orthoptic check-up - 1
Advice for fundus examination - 2

There was one case each of the following conditions:

Sub-conjunctival haemorrhage
Blephritis
Suspected blockage of lacrimal duct

It was observed that attending to such students belonging to poor families will become more meaningful when rather than mere advice, there’s provision for free

1. Distribution of antibiotic eye drops & multivitamin preparations and
2. Professional refraction check-ups followed by dispensing of spectacles.

But since this exercise needs adequate funds, it was felt that there’s urgent need of contributions from corporate houses / funding organizations.

The picture shows (above) Dr. Kumar doing retinoscopy, and (below) students waiting for their turn at the Camp.

Dr. Narendra Kumar

History of Optometry in India

The Optometry Today’s website http://education.vsnl.com/optometry/ carries the brief history of optometry in India. And the illustration depicts the Near Vision Test Type narrating the `history’. The above reading test type was published by Optometry Today in 1993, and a copy of this chart is available free-of-charge to the subscribers of the quarterly journal till stock lasts.

Dr. Narendra Kumar

East meets west

On my visit to the US (in August 2007, accompanied by my wife Sheela), I took a stop-over at London. While taking a stroll in St. Georges Centre, Harrow, Middlesex, I casually stepped inside Boots Opticians practice to say hallo, and was pleasantly greeted by dispensing optician Mohammed Raza Alidina: “Are you Dr. Narendra Kumar? I have read your letters in Optician several times.”

In USA, on my visit to Southern College of Optometry at Memphis, I was greeted by Dr. Willis Maples: “I can now put a face to a name.” (I was in correspondence with Dr. Maples, but we had never met before!). The picture shows me with Dr. Pinakin Gunvant (left) and Dr. Maples (centre).

Dr. Narendra Kumar

A well-known name in Audiology

After completing MSc (Speech & Hearing) from All India Institute of Speech & Hearing, Mysore, Satyendra Kumar served first at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi and then at Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for Hard of Hearing, edited Hearing Aid Journal, and obtained MPhil from UK on a fellowship.

Then migrating to the US, suffering the unfortunate passing away of his wife Bhavana Gupta (also an Audiologist), admirably bringing up daughter Shobhana and son Sameer, and completing AuD (Doctorate in Audiology) from A. T. Still University, is a long story

Dr. Satyendra Kumar works with ENT Surgeon Dr. Bindra, is a well-known name in Audiology in India, and is the editor of audiology section of Optometry Today quarterly journal.

Dr. Narendra Kumar

The veteran British journalist Shelagh Hardy extensively quotes the editor of Optometry Today in his article `India - Superpower of the future’, and presents an optimistic view about ophthalmic optics in India, in February 2009 issue of Optical World, supposedly having the largest circulation worldwide.

Dr. Narendra Kumar

Photograph print for charity funding

The photograph taken at the Birds Park in Singapore by me has been set aside to raise funds for the charitable trust Eye Care India. Colour prints are available in A4 size @ Rs.3,000/- (US $ 75) from Optometry Today, C4F/216 Janakpuri, New Delhi 110058, Phone +91-11-25599839

Dr. Narendra Kumar