3. Eye camp concept is a highly
desirable and accepted strategy in
providing eye health services to the
populations in remote and underserved
areas of developing countries.
Eye camps are generally of two types.
1. Comprehensive eye care camps
2. Mass cataract camps
4. In mass cataract camps the prime
emphasis is on cataract surgery. No other
services are routinely provided.
5. Comprehensive eye care camps are
concerned with primary eye care
approach providing several types of
services for many ocular or systemic
conditions that lead to visual disability or
blindness if left untreated.
6. Example:-
Identifying corneal disease, cataracts,
refractive errors, glaucoma, squints,
Eye infections, allergies, trauma and
other common eye conditions.
7. Most eye camps are organized by non
governmental organizations. They have a
major role in organization and conducting
eye camps. Technical inputs are provided
by the institutional ophthalmic team where
the eye surgeon is the team leader.
8. The camp organizers should be highly
motivated, devoted and committed to the
cause and the community participation is
a very important factor in making an eye
camp a success.
9. Corrective measures for those
identified conditions are usually
undertaken either at the camp or after
referral to the base or main center.
10. Manpower and Duties
In addition to routine eye care workers
(Eye surgeon, Ophthalmic nurses and
refractionists) several other health
personnel are required in such programs
including ophthalmic assistants, public
health workers and nurses.
11. Distribution of work during an eye camp
has to be very clearly defined before the
commencement.
Work should be assigned to
different personnel on their qualification
and experience.
12. Work
Screening for visual
defects using Snellens
chart and examination
for obvious anomalies
IOP checking using
Shiotz tonometer
Refraction
Personnel
Trained Ophthalmic
- Nurse / Medical
officer
Trained Ophthalmic
- Nurse / Assistant
Refractionist / Trained
- Ophthalmic
assistant
13. Work
Drug distribution
Diagnosing, treating
and referral
Health education
Logistics
Personnel
Trained Ophthalmic
assistant
Ophthalmologist
Nurse /FHW /
Ophthalmic assistant
Camp organizers
14. For the improvement of camp services,
Monitoring of activities, finding the
constraints and evaluating the
effectiveness are major important
feedback mechanisms.
Recommended follow up activities
should also be carefully monitored for the
fulfillment of the concept of eye camps.
15. Monitoring and evaluation provide a
feedback on camp activities as well as
information on the impact of the services
provided.
Some indicators are needed for this
assessment.
16. Indicators should be based on
1. Measuring the progress
2. Finding whether the set targets are
achieved
17. Different performance of eye camps are
the easiest measures to use as the
indicators.
It must be comprehensive and cover all
aspects of eye camp services. In using
performance indicators a minimum
manpower requirement should be
finalized.
18. The team should consist at least one
ophthalmologist, one optometrist and two
ophthalmic assistants/nurses.
Performance unit for each activity are
expected to increase with the increase of
manpower.
19. 1. Patient examination
A) 20 patient examinations and
treatment (Vision checking,
anterior segment examination
Funduscopy)
B) 5 refractions
(Dry / cycloplegic)
1 Unit
1 Unit
Indicators suggested Performance in units
20. C) 20 IOP checking
D) 10 cataract referrals for
surgery
E) 30 referrals to base for
follow up / investigation
1 Unit
1 Unit
1 Unit
21. 2. Intervention at the camp / base
A) 5 removal of superficial foreign
bodies
B) 5 any other minor procedure
C) 1 cataract extraction at the camp
D) 2 cataract extraction at the base
E) 10 investigations and follow up at
the base
1 Unit
1 Unit
1 Unit
1 Unit
1 Unit
25. Progress of a camp can be assessed
using those set indicators and their
performance units. Total number of units
for each camp can be compared with
another same type of a camp for each
activity or for overall activities.It may be
compared with a gold standard or set
goals for a single camp too.
26. This procedure would provide an
opportunity for the organizers and the
authorities to assess their own
performances, which could be compared
with other similar activities of the country.
This ensures whether the planned
procedures are on track and indicate the
deviations allowing the adoption of
corrective measures.
27. Eye camps are an essential component
in prevention of blindness activities in the
countries where community ophthalmology
is not an established discipline.
28. In such situations if a national program
is planed for the prevention of blindness,
these indicators could be used targeting
certain number of unit values for different
activities or overall unit value for total
events at different levels for peripheral
mobile units and central mobile units
separately to achieve in a given time
period.
29. An example for performing
evaluation of eye camp
activities
Five eye camps were conducted in
different parts of a country for a period
of six months.
