RPG Foundation’s NETRANJALI conducts eye check-ups for all BEST drivers across Mumbai on the occasion of ‘World Sight Day’
New Delhi: Project Netranjali, is an RPG Foundation eyecare initiative that has impacted over 5.5 lakh lives since its inception in 2014. It focuses on reducing preventable blindness by providing free eye check-ups, free spectacles and hospital referrals to those who need further eye care intervention.
During the month of October 2018, to commemorate World Sight Day, Netranjali extends its support to 21 thousand BEST drivers across Mumbai through multiple eye camps. Ms. Radha Goenka, trustee, RPG Foundation opined “Strenuous driving for long hours predisposes this group to multitude of healthcare needs that are often unmet. This makes initiatives like Netranjali a necessary one.”
Most of these drivers suffer from severe health problems like backaches, heart diseases and often neglect their eye health. Netranjali’s specialized camps organized at BEST depots would cater to the eye care needs of the drivers and conductors who are always on the move. Netranjali has been catering to at-risk groups such as Truck Drivers, School children, elderly and community at large and has distributed over 2 lakh spectacles till date.
Statistics show that India is the blind capital of the world, which houses 1/4th of the world’s blind population. To fill in this critical gap Project Netranjali was conceptualized by RPG Foundation.
Netranjali garnered maximum impact through its comprehensive screening & referral model. Screening camps are conducted across cities like Jaipur, Nashik, Nagpur, Halol, Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad & Chennai. Similarly, specialized camps are conducted for school children that address eye health related issues at early stage. In several large communities, a Vision Centre (Hub-and-spoke) model is set up to expand the outreach. Free spectacles are distributed to beneficiaries with uncorrected refractive errors and referrals given for hospitals in serious cases.
Netranjali not only works in preventive eye care, but its ripple effect helps in preventing accidents; making the roads safer leading to saving lives and securing livelihoods.
RPG Foundation is passionate about improving the quality of life of local communities and works by identifying critical need gaps, thus maximizing social impact. Some of the flagship programs spearheaded by the foundation include Swayam for women empowerment (skilling women as trained drivers and health care professionals), Pehlay Akshar for primary education (imparting functional English in schools), Netranjali for eye and vision care, and Jeevan for local community development as well as various skill training initiatives for the youth.
RPG Enterprises, established in 1979, is one of India’s fastest growing business groups with a turnover of Rs. 23000 Cr. The group has diverse business interests in the areas of Infrastructure, Tyres, Pharma, IT and Specialty as well as in emerging innovation-led technology businesses.