GSI ORGANIZES THE FIRST WORLD GLAUCOMA DAY IN INDIA

In commemoration of the first World Glaucoma Day on 6th March 2008, Glaucoma Society of India held one of its first patient awareness meeting in Sankara Nethralaya in India on March 6, 2008.  Pamphlets and articles on glaucoma were displayed at all Sankara Nethralaya centers prior to the World Glaucoma Day till the day for aw areness. Public at large, existing patients and their families and the press were invited who had attended the program. 

Press release in various Indian dailies and magazines titled (a) World Glaucoma Day article by A.P Irungovel, Sankara Nethralaya, (b) All about Glaucoma by Dr L Vijaya, (c) Silent Thief of Sight by Dr Ronnie George (d) Glaucoma: misconceptions galore etc., were published and media interview in the vernacular language (Tamil) with college and local womens’ forum was broadcast on the television on the WG Day as part of awareness. 

Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai conducted an awareness meeting for public and patients at 6.30 pm on March 06, 2008 which was attended by around 50-60 public who witnessed lectures in Tamil and English followed by Question and Answer sessions by public and press with glaucoma specialists of the city Dr B Sridhar Rao, Dr Murali Ariga and Glaucoma experts from Sankara Nethralaya viz Dr L Vijaya, Dr B Shantha, Dr Ronnie George and Dr M Baskaran. The interaction between public and doctors was very good. Patient Support Group was initiated in the meeting and a platform for future meeting began.

Besides, the Rural Eye Hospital of Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai also created WGD awareness by way of display of posters in Tamil and English, distribution of pamphlets, oral communication etc. Optometry interns of the Hospital had created awareness among the visiting patients and their family members / attendants. Posters display and pamphlet distribution were done through the day for the pubic.

The Kolkata Annexe Hospital of Sankara Nethralaya had organized similar program on that day, which was attended by 32 patients and their relatives and the general public.  Dr P K Bakshi and Dr Chandrima Paul of the BB Eye Foundation, Kolkata were speakers of the program; Dr Krishnendu Sarkar and Dr Manas Banerjee from RIO Medical College, Kolkata were the guest invitees who attended the program. Consultants of Sankara Nethralaya Dr S Sinha, Dr S Mukherjee and Dr Maneesh Singh were part and parcel of the program.  The program had 3 talks on the basics of glaucoma for the sake of public followed by patient-doctor discussion session.  The response among the public was very good and few have shown interest in forming glaucoma patient interest group.