Athlone based Specsavers duo, Optometrist Director Keith McCallion and Ophthalmic Director Kate Kelly recently played a crucial role in supporting 2,414 individuals living in Kolkata’s street and slum communities in India.
As Keith, Kate and their team navigated the harsh reality while volunteering at The Hope Hospital Eye Clinic, they visited local street and slum communities where they provided eye health care to those living on the streets.
During their week-long trip in aid of The Hope Foundation, the team of expert opticians visited eleven different locations and gave eye checks to 2,414 patients, dispensed over 1,904 glasses, and in more severe cases, referred patients to Hope Hospital for surgery.
Despite the seemingly routine nature of the eye care provided, many individuals treated by Specsavers colleagues had never accessed such services before. Dr Samran, CEO of The Hope Hospital, emphasised the significance of the visit, noting that 90% of cases of blindness could have been prevented if timely treatment was available. This highlights the critical impact of the Specsavers team’s efforts in bringing essential eye care to those who had previously lacked access.
For the people seen by Specsavers on this trip to Kolkata, having glasses can be a life changing tool, be it to help in their education or help them to obtain work to support their families.
“It was great to meet the patients who previously had cataract surgery. It’s proof that The Hope Foundation have been supporting and making change. As a result, they trust us to come back and continue their eyecare.
“The work we’re doing under the blindness eradication programme is more than treatment of cataracts, glaucoma and eye disease. It’s also about supporting people who just need glasses. I know for myself, if I couldn’t wear glasses, I couldn’t leave the house let alone keep a job or provide for my family. The simple act of giving glasses means that you can cure someone’s blindness, allowing them to get a job, get an education and live a fulfilled life,” Keith said.
Speaking about her trip to Kolkata, Kate recalls a particular highlight for her which involved providing glasses to a 55-year-old male, who never had glasses. Once he was able to see, he was overwhelmed with gratitude.
At the end of their week-long volunteering trip, Specsavers presented a cheque of €135,000 to founder of The Hope Foundation, Maureen Forrest. This significant donation will play a vital role in sustaining the eye care clinic in Kolkata.
Maureen Forrest, Founder of the Hope Foundation explains that this programme “is the difference between life and death to people who can’t feed their families”.
In addition to the staff from Specsavers, four optometry students from Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin ), Eimear Kilroy, Irene Finnerty, Brid Stack, and Ava Shiels and Paula James along with their Lecturer and Head of Optometry, Declan Hovenden travelled to Kolkata.
Specsavers has an academic partnership with TU Dublin, providing expert mentorship and support to students of Optometry. The partnership is to help students develop the necessary skillsets required to excel in a professional environment and in their academic studies, so Specsavers were thrilled to be able to bring some students from the course to Kolkata to help with their mission.
The Hope Foundation Ireland is a registered Irish charity working with street and slum children in Kolkata. The charity works to free children and poor families from lives of pain, abuse, poverty, and darkness and seeks to improve their lives by providing access to healthcare and nutrition, education, drug rehabilitation and life skills and training. With the help of Specsavers and The Hope Foundation, improved eye care will be made available to the children living in slums and hospitals in Kolkata.
