Nepal Red Cross Society has been managing eye care services as a key component of health service in Mid-West Region (Karnali province) since 1990s through eye care canters (Surkhet, Dailekh, Jajarkot and Bardia) and outreach program with the support of Swiss Red Cross. In Initial stage, Surkhet eye hospital was as a primary eye care centre, established in 2046 at Birendranagar, Surkhet. Considering the increased demand for clinical and surgical services in the regional hub at Surkhet, the CECC upgraded as a surgical centre in 2009 and continued their surgical service up to 2014 by visiting Ophthalmologist once a month. The surgical centre was again upgraded as a Nepal Red Cross Society Surkhet Eye Hospital to provide regular specialty service by Ophthalmologists.
NRCs, Surkhet Eye Hospital implements Mid-West Eye Care Project in Karnali province (former Mid-West Region) to contribute improving access to comprehensive eye care services with the support of Swiss Red Cross. The project is implemented in 10 districts and covers the 1.7 million populations of Karnali province ( 5 districts of Bheri zone-Surkhet, Dailekh, Jajarkot, Rukum and Salyan) and (5 districts of Karnali zone- Dolpa, Jumla, Mugu, Humla and Kalikot) through hospital and outreach program to reach the unreached. The hospital provides curative, preventive, supportive and promotional eye care service in collaboration with various collaborators through Hospital and outreach service. The hospital is located in Birendranager municipality-6, Surkhet which is the capital of Karnali province. It is 10 bedded, well equipped, secondary level eye hospital in the province. The hospital service has been managed in new constructed building with financial support of Swiss Red Cross, Lindenhof Foundation and Foundation Vision for All. The Foundation Vision for all was contributed CHF 98,000.00 for hospital building construction. It has 3 primary eye care centres (Bardia, Dailekh and Jajarkot) to provide clinical service and outreach service.
The hospital has been working closely with other stakeholders for implementation of outreach program in respective district. The hospital is gaining gradual popularity having modern equipment and choice of services in Karnali province. The hospital provides more than 100,000 outpatinet service and restores sight more than 2,700 patients annually.
Vision
Nepal Red Cross Society shall remain an efficient, self-sustainable, and independent humanitarian organization committed to provide immediate relief to human suffering and reduce vulnerability, under the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross, through its network of Red Cross workers throughout the country working closely with communities and governmental and non-governmental organizations in a democratic, transparent and participatory way.
Mission
The mission of the Nepal Red Cross is to relieve human suffering and to reduce vulnerability through community participation and mobilization of an increased number of volunteers, by expanding and strengthening the organizational structure of the society and by building links with governmental and non-governmental organizations.
SEH Goal: Elimination of avoidable blindness in Karnali Province
Objectives of SEH:
- To provide comprehensive, equitable, affordable and quality eye care service for the reduction of avoidable blindness
- To reach remote areas with eye care services in collaboration with NGOs, local and province government
- To improve eye health seeking behavior of service population
- To create platform to partners for long term collaboration for the reduction of avoidable blindness
- To develop hospital as an academic centre to produce necessary workforce required to provide quality eye care in the province