THE FIRST RAY OF "A ELEVEN MONTH BABY"

She is Jaysmita Das an eleven-month daughter of Mr. Amar Prasad Das & Sanjurani Das, belongs to a APL family of Das, Dhanagadi, in the district of Jajpur. An underdeveloped district founded by King Jajati Keshari, situated in the central part of orissa, which is also known for its cultures. Mr. & Misse Das belongs to the same dist. Their family consist of seven members. Mr. Das got married in the year 2001. After two sons when he found a daughter came to their family, he could not able to express his delight ness, he became very happy with Jayasmita (Jaya), because she is the only daughter of his.

Mr.& Misses Das faced few difficulties in the earlier days, but when they found jaya is not responding properly to their words. They thought, as she is too small, it might be the problem. But later on they found jaya is engaging herself in less no of activities, she was always sitting less actively in a same place where their parents put her. Then their parents took her to the Dhangadi PHC but as the doctor was not oriented with Paediatric Ophthalmology, so he could able to identify the actual problem but could able to identify that Jaya is suffering from some eye problems, then he referred jaya to the ophthalmic section of Dhangadi PHC, where they found Mr. Sabir Khan, the Ophthalmic assistant, even he could able to identify the actual eye problem but could able to identify the squint problem in jaya’s eye but Mr. Khan suggested Mr. & Misses Das to take jaya to the Free eye screening camp of KEH (With Support from ORBIS International KEH has able to strengthen its out reach activities even to the unreach areas of central orissa. Which includes training of schoolteachers, Anganwadi workers, SHGs etc & free community screening programme) for proper diagnosis & treatment.

Then they took Jaya to the free eye screening camp where Dr. R N Garnayak found jaya suffering from conginental cataract with strabismus. Then he told as we do not have any Pediatric Ophthalmologist right now & already one ophthalmologist is under this training we may not able to treat Jaya at present but with support of ORBIS, we are conducting HBPs in a year to treat all the complicated pediatric cases suffering from ophthalmic problems. However, due to some problem we are able to conduct the HBP in this year. Therefore, after keeping all the detail contact sources of Mr & Mrs Das, referred Jaya to the JPM Rotary, cuttack. Then they took Jaya to the JPM Rotary, cuttack, but they could able to afford the surgery cost, even the Dr. could not able to assure the percentage of successes of the surgery. So it broke the moral of Mr. & Misses Das.

As a part of the project with ORBIS, Kalinga Eye Hospital organized an CME in August 2007 wherein Dr. Mihir Kothari, Pediatric Ophthalmologist from Jyotirmayee Eye Clinic & Pediatric Low vision Centre, Mumbai located in Maharashtra, a state situated in the east part of the country, volunteered his skills to perform pediatric eye surgeries and also orient the ophthalmologists at Kalinga.

After finalizing the date for the CME, Kalinga Eye Hospital tried to collect pediatric cases for this CME. For the CME, Mr. Narattama Parida the Camp Manager has started collecting information about the pediatric cases those who have visited to the free eye screeing camps in the past to know their present status & found jaya is still suffering with the same problem. Then he tried to know the reasons not going for the surgery after knowing al those he told their family about ORBIS & CME. Taking this opportunity to bring about a change in the life of Jaya, Mr. Narottam Parida, brought her for surgery to the base hospital.

Jaya & his family reached KEH on 27th August 2007 & Dr. Mihir Kothari has identified jaya as bilateral conginental cataract. Then she has undergone the cataract surgery for her Left Eye on 30th of the same month. The next few hour after the surgery was very much important for Mr. & Misses Das, because they were eagerly waiting for the results. After few days from the surgery when they found Jaya is showing some positive response to their words. The gleam of excitement was very evident in the eyes of their parents. We could able to catch the happiness in Mr.& Misses Das on the follow up date. Because probably for the first time after her birth Jaya could able to see her parents face, by the help of this eye surgery.

Jaya’s case is not closed yet, because she is eagerly waiting for the next surgery for her right eye where she will be in need of KEHRC & ORBIS’s support.