Nanna Kannu is a comprehensive Paediatric Eye Care Program for visually handicapped, underprivileged school children of Karnataka.

At Sankara, children’s vision and eye care is a priority. The organisation has successfully implemented the program for over two decades now and benefitted over 5.8 million children nation-wide. Nanna Kannu which means “my eyes” was launched in 2009 at Sankara Eye Hospital (SEH), Bangalore. It covers children in the age group of 4 to 15 years, studying in Govt. Elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. These children are primarily screened by teachers and corporate volunteers trained by SEH, Bangalore. The short listed children are screened directly by Sankara’s Opthalmic team. Free spectacles are provided to children identified as having refractive errors. Children requiring surgery, other diagnostics, low vision and rehabilitation services are brought to the base hospital and treated free of cost.

OBJECTIVES

  • To provide children identified with visual defects treatment, spectacles, medicines or
    surgeries as per their requirement.
  • Ensure that all identified irreversibly blind and low vision children receive timely
    rehabilitation and education services and are made aware of the facilities and benefits
    available for them under Got. Offered schemes.
  • To raise awareness on childhood blindness and to promote community ownership and wider
    impact of the initiatives.

ACTIVITIES UNDER NANNA KANNU

  • Screening for Eye ailments at Govt. and Aided schools
  • Base Hospital Services
  • Low Vision Services
  • Rehabilitation & Inclusive Education (In partnership with Sarva Siksha Abhiyan / NGO
    Partner)

PROCESS

  • Requisite permissions are acquired from the Government Authorities.
  •  Identified teachers from the schools and volunteers from the community conduct primary
    screening at schools.
  • Trained teachers/volunteers then help to screen children with visual defects.
  • Children found to have some problem with their eyes would thereafter be screened /examined by the Sankara team.
  • Children identified to have refractive errors would be provided spectacles free.
  • Children requiring surgery and other diagnostics would be brought (referred) to the base
    hospital and provided free treatment.
  • Children having low vision would be provided free of cost assistive devices and those
    identified as irreversibly blind, referring to partner NGO’s working with the disabled.
View Flow Diagram

PHASE I

  • Coordination with the State Govt. Authorities from Education and Health departments.
  • Data collection on the student population in the various schools.
  • For every 500 students two teachers / volunteers are identified for imparting training.

PHASE II
AT SANKARA EYE HOSPITAL

  • Organizing the printing and stationary required for conducting the programme.
  • Orientation and training for the teacher / volunteers conducted for half a day at Sankara Eye
    Hospital.
  • Screening kits and recording stationary are distributed to the Teachers / Volunteers.

PHASE III
AT SCHOOL LEVEL

  • Preliminary vision screening of students conducted by the teachers / volunteers.
  • Around 10% of the student population screened are identified with visual defects at the primary screening.
  • Students with normal vision are given a green card indicating the visual status, while with visual problem detected students receive a pink card which carries a message to the parents.

PHASE IV

VISION SCREENING AT SCHOOL  – NANNU KANNU MOBILE BUS PROJECT

  • Students are examined in the school as per a pre-planned schedule. The parents are encouraged to accompany the students.
  • Up to refraction and glass prescription, the entire procedure would be completed inside the Nanna Kannu Mobile Bus.
  • Glasses prepared subsequently would be sent to the schools for distribution to the children.
  • Children selected for surgeries, further investigations or management would be referred to the Base Hospital.

PHASE V

AT SANKARA EYE HOSPITAL 

Those who would benefit from surgical interventions as in the case of Congenital Cataract, Developmental Cataract, Traumatic Cataract, Congenital Glaucoma, Corneal Opacities, Ptosis and squint would be provided the surgeries free of cost by Sankara Eye Hospital.

PHASE VI

  • Feedback reports provided to Donors and Government Authorities from Education and Health departments on the outcome of the Project.
  • Certificate of appreciation issued to the teachers / volunteers.
  • Cross referrals to other specialties wherever required.
  • Creating a data bank.

SEVEN DISTRICTS COVERED:

Bangalore Urban & Rural, Tumkur, Kolar, Ramanagara, Chikkaballapura, Mandya and Chamaraja Nagara districts.

PROJECT IMPACT:

  • 92% children wear spectacles
  • 96% improvement in academics after improved vision
  • Majority of beneficiaries are Girls
  • 52 blind children are rehabilitated
  • 147 children under oncology care are alive and well
  • Added 11.37 years (QALY)
  • Organizing Mega Camps and Corporate Volunteering Opportunities

Impact:

Performance of the Project:

No. of Schools screened: 8,520
No. of Teachers/Volunteers trained: 10,063
No. of Children Screenings: 8,05,895
Glasses distributed: 14,773
Surgeries Performed: 2,733
 *up to 28 Feb 2018

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Eye Care Beyond Compare

Why Sankara?

WORLD-CLASS FACILITIES WITH A SOCIAL IMPACT