India CSR News Network
BENGAPURU: Tesco Bengaluru supported Sankara Eye Foundation’s ‘Gift of Vision’ programme to facilitate free eye surgeries for 430 community patients. This was part of the company’s’ corporate social responsibility initiative titled ‘Youth4Ever’ which focusses on enabling preventive healthcare projects.
Under this comprehensive, curative eye care programme, 1198 patients were screened for vision problems of which 430 received free surgeries. The programme was conducted at health camps in remote towns around Bengaluru including Andersonpet, Bagepalli, Gorwibidanur, Kabahalli, and Sira.
The health camp involved a rural outreach activity to identify individuals with vision impairment. At the camp site, field workers registered, screened, identified persons with visual problems who can benefit from vision restoration surgeries. They were then were then brought to Sankara Eye Hospital for surgery and necessary post-operative care. Treatment, transportation costs, medicines and boarding were provided to them completely free of cost. In addition to this, Sankara Eye Foundation will be conducting review camps for the patients a month from the date of the surgery.
Aniisu Verghese, Senior Manager – Corporate Communications & CSR, Tesco Bengaluru said, “We are proud of our association with Sankara Eye Hospital to help achieve their mission of providing quality eye care to the needy. At Tesco, we are focused at supporting preventive healthcare programmes which provide our colleagues the opportunity to engage with the communities around us and contribute to society. Such initiatives allow us to make a tangible impact to the less fortunate and live our Tesco value – ‘every little help makes a big difference’.
‘Gift of Vision’ is a rural community outreach programme through which camps are organised to identify people with vision impairment. Beneficiaries are then brought to the Sankara Eye Hospital for examination, assessment, and surgery. Sankara Eye Care Institutions have offered free surgical care to over 1.3 million needy patients till date.
“Through our Gift of Vision programme, it is possible to restore dignity and purpose in the lives of the economically disadvantaged. We are extremely grateful for the support from corporates like Tesco Bengaluru which will help increase the reach of eye care services,” Vikram Chaudhari, CEO, Sankara Eye Hospitals Bangalore added.
