Bringing Eye Care Closer to Home: Lakhimpur Kheri Outreach Camps

Summary

For children in rural India, the nearest eye specialist can be hours away. As a result, many vision problems go unnoticed until they have already affected a child's learning and development. Project Prakash's outreach programme works to close that distance by taking paediatric eye care directly to the communities where children live and learn. In June 2026, the team held two outreach camps in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. They screened 132 children, connected those who needed further care to specialist treatment, and ran eye health awareness sessions for local families.

Every child identified early is a child who gets the chance to be treated in time.

Inside the Camps

The first camp took place in Mahariya on 21 June, and the second in Kat Kasuma the following day. Across both days, the Project Prakash team screened children for vision problems. Many of these families have limited access to regular eye care.

The camps produced these results:

132 children screened 10 children referred for further evaluation and treatment 6 children prescribed spectacles for refractive errors 22 community members joined eye health awareness sessions

The 10 referred children were connected to Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital (SCEH) in Delhi for further evaluation and treatment. For conditions like cataract, a referral at the right time can make a lasting difference to a child's vision.

The 6 children with refractive errors were prescribed spectacles. It's a simple intervention, but it can transform a child's ability to read, follow lessons, and take part fully in school.

Screening is only one part of the work. The team also ran awareness sessions with 22 community members and gave educational materials to local stakeholders. When parents, teachers, and community leaders know the signs of vision problems in children, they can help more children get identified and brought forward for care long after the camp ends.

Taking screening and awareness closer to underserved communities is how Project Prakash makes sure no child's sight is lost simply because care was too far away.

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