Description

Netra Raksha Charitable Trust was formed in 1969 to accelerate the work of prevention and cure of blindness. The work was highly appreciated and supported by Swiss-aid, Padmashree Dr.Rajendra T. Vyas from Royal Common Wealth Society for the blind and Mrs. Ruth Joshi from Switzerland. Soon, renowned eye surgeons from Switlerland started taking keen interest and joined the task. Dr. Gerhard Payer (Chur), Dr. Bowmann (Iuzern), Dr. Edward Jenny (Baden), Dr. Wildberger (Zurich), and Dr. Lukas Jenny (Baden), all these eye surgeons contributed a lot and they still continue to do so in up gradation of the work.

Shivananda Mission was established in 1981, with aim of expanding the work from health to education, spiritual and other social services. At present Shivananda Mission is managing Eye Hospital-350 beds, Maternity Hospital 14 beds, General Hospital 20 beds, and 16 beds for De-addiction Hospital. In addition to health services, for Education Sector Shivananda Mission is managing a school (standard 1 to 12), a Bal mandir (Kindergarten), a girls hostel through Virnagar Kelawani Mandal. Social Services like building small check dams, recharging of wells for drinking water, construction of low cost sanitary toilets have been undertaken in the past. Shivananda Mission has been involved in publication and distribution of religious literature as Spiritual Activities.

Screening eye camps were started in 1988, Now mission conducts nearly 360 camps every year in seven districts of Gujarat state, where a team of doctors and paramedics visits selected rural centers, conducts O.P.D. and treatment is given, selected cases for operation are shifted to the base hospital for operation by hospital buses, after 3 days patients are transported back to their centers. Examination, medicines, operations with lens implants, accommodation and meals are totally free of cost to patients. One attendant is also provided free lodging and boarding along with a patient. Nearly 30 centers are selected every month for screening eye camp with the help of local health workers and organizers. About 1,70,757 eye operations have been performed till March 2017 from 1988 in such screening eye camps.

Dr. Adhvaryoo held first outreach eye camp at Barwala (Dhandhuka) in 1948, since then such eye camps were very popular among rural people. With the advent of newer modality of treatment and operations such out reach eye camps (where temporary operation theatre were built at such remote places) are now replaced by screening eye camps (where patients are shifted to better equipped base hospital for operations). Shivananda Mission has performed 2,76,814 eye operations till March 2016 in such out reach eye camps.

In total, 7,75,740 eye operations have been performed by base hospital, screening eye camps and outreach eye camps along with examination and treatment of 40,96,928 patients till March 2017. For majority of cases, Facilities such as Treatment, Operations including I.O.L., Lodging and Boarding are provided free of cost by the Trust.

Eye Bank was established at Virnagar in 1972 and corneal grafting operations were started. Now eye bank has been affiliated with Eye bank association of India, Inst.L.1346/2004 and is registered under human organ transplant act (Gujarat) also. In total, 1797 corneal transplants have been performed till March 2017. Shivananda Eye Hospital, Rajkot run by Netra Raksha Charitable Trust was amalgamated with Shivananda Mission, Virnagar since 1st October 2006.