Sankara Nethralaya has a
very organised system that worked very well for their high number of patients.
My experience at Sankara Nethralaya
was both educationally stimulating and inspiring into the cultural community of
India India
I had the great opportunity of
observing several surgeries whilst on my visit in Sankara Nethralaya from basic
cataract to complex retinal surgeries. I was able to observe how nurses and
doctors prepare the patients for surgery and how all precautions are hygiene
standards were met to the highest standard before the surgery is commenced.
Physicians examine patients to make sure that they are fit for surgery by
checking their blood pressure, pulse, to note down any allergies and other
general health checks. Watching the surgeries and how the doctors
reassured patients during and after
surgeries allowed me to real how many highly qualified professionals Sankara
Nethralaya has and how they are all very
committed to their jobs. I also had the opportunity to see the LASIK machine
and how it worked. There were several background checks and examinations needed
to be done to make sure that the treatment was right and safe for the patients
using the most state of art equipment. Emergency surgeries also took place at
the hospital where a consultant would be available 24 hours a day. After
surgeries patients were taken to the wards where they were kept up to 2 hours,
where the nurses would check their vital signs and after examination they were
able to leave the hospital on the same day after their surgeries. Sankara
Nethralaya has a very organised system that worked very well for their high
number of patients.
During my time at Sankara Nethralaya
I also went along to the campsites. They went 3-4 times a week, where they
visited different village around Chennai checking peoples eye sights, but
normally never went back to the same village, this shows the vast number of
rural villages and the large amount of poverty. It struck me as shocking as how
many of the patients in the villages was unaware of both their ages and names.
Going to the villages gave me the ability to see the true poverty of India
On another day I was posted in the
Jaslock community centre, this building was available just for the free service
patients who couldn't afford to pay for any of their eye care treatment. I was
posted with a group of post graduates and fellowship students, which allowed me
to gain insight into their studies. Patients who come to Jaslok get the same treatment and service as the main Sankara Nethralaya
hospital, showing the compassion of the professionals who work there to treat
and give the same service to all their patients no matter of their income.
Another day was spent in paediatric
ophthalmology, many children and babies are referred to Sankara Nethralaya for
treatment as paediatrics is their speciality and it is a tertiary trust.
Doctors stay with the same patients throughout their treatment and care, this
gives the patients the opportunity to bond with the doctors and for the doctors
to be able to have sufficient knowledge of the patients to be able to treat
with the right procedures. I learnt that many child are born with or develop a
squint at young age, meaning that the eye with the squint is used less and the
other eye used much more, so doctors cover the 'good' eye to help give strength
back into the muscles in the eye that squints. Also many children in India may
catch illnesses such as meningitis, which could damage the optical nerves, although
physiotherapy and glasses can help improve conditions that are already there,
the child may not respond to light and could end up with vision not returning
to them due to the pressure within the head, effecting the pressure in the eye
causing continual damage to the eye. Many children can also develop cataract at
a young age, due to this their lens need to be removed and a replaced of a
silicon faux lens, although this removed the cataract, glasses will still be
needed lifelong.
The ultrasound department was another
part of the hospital I was able to visit.
Here I observed how a consultant
saw within the eye, as the ultrasound produced a picture of the retina and the
different layers of the eye to see detachment or where damage has occurred in
the different mass or density of the tissues. Doctors can show a comparison of
the normal eye compared to the damaged eye, this helps doctors to identify
tumorous cells and helps the doctors to see the shape and size of the eye ball
for surgical usage.
Sankara Nethralaya also has a low
vision clinic within the hospital which is used for patients who do not have
much eye sight and need much longer, more intense glasses for both long and
short eyesight. These patients find everyday life hard and simple things like using
a computer or reading becomes very difficult. Sankara Nethralaya provides
services to these patients to help them deal with their poor eye sight. The
optician teaches them tips to use on the computer to help eye sight, devices
which help patients to read and colours helping the patient to identify
objects. I learnt that the opticians needed a lot of patience's and time to
find how much the patient can see by using eye sight charts for both long and
short distance reading.
Ophthalmology photographs are also
used in Sankara Nethralaya to capture the retinal area of the eye using a zoom
camera and different coloured filters. Patients are injected with a dye, which
helps to see if there is any leakage or damage within the capillaries in the
eye and is taken every 3 seconds to see the different layers of the eye. The
camera has to be focused and pictures taken fast as the dye only lasts for
about 30 seconds in the eye. This devices helps as if there is no dye that
flows into the eye, this shows potential blockage of an artery or a vein.
Another machine used is the slit lamp, this enables the doctors or opticians to
examine the outer eye, such as the cornea and lens. These pictures and devices
allow the consultants to have detailed pictures of the eye, enabling them to
make an accurate diagnosis.
In Conclusion, my 2 months
volunteering experience in India India England
and the differences that I could see between healthcare in England and India India
Ms Cassie Rao – London
