KEHRC is thankful to ORBIS International, a us based voluntary & charity organisation  which joined hand with it to lead International effort in mobilising resources for the prevention of blindness in Dhenkanal and 5 other adjoining districts namely Jajpur, Jagatsingpur, Sambalpur, Keonjhar & Anugul district of Orissa.

Both KEHRC and ORBIS International share the common humanitarian cause of eradicating common form of preventable blindness/vision problem in which more than 10 Crores of population are currently suffering world wide. Most importantly, out of this number one Crore belong to India. In India 80 lakhs of population are having vision problem and 12 lakhs are completely visually impaired. The case is most sever in developing regions/states/nations where the health care services cannot be afforded by the poor people because of the barriers like high cost, distance and lack of post operative eye care consultations        

It is because of the unconditional support and strategic guidance KEHRC could able to operate 5005 cases during the period of March 2005 to February 20th of 2006.The stupendous achievement of KEHRC in sharing responsibility of ORBIS International has helped ORBIS to find an able partner and thus during June 2006 a new project was lunched to further the commitment. As a result of which KEHRC has already conducted 1777 eye surgeries since then to the end of the Oct 2006. ORBIS International will support KEHRC through this current project until Dec 2009. 

ORBIS had helped KEHRC by supporting to procure instruments that support high volume surgeries as well as building the capacity of the staffs. This is because of the support KEHRC has been able to acquire medical instruments, technical guidance, networking with major organisation etc. Apart from this ORBIS International supports KEHRC in patient transportation, strategic planning, and development of business plan as well as strengthening the hospital to a large extent where by the hospital can and well serve the interest of people in the central Orissa.   

Its ORBIS International’s support that human resources at KEHRC have been sharpened with added capacity to perform in a more diligent way. Doctors, Ophthalmologists are trained in areas of paediatric ophthalmology, diabetic retinopathy, refraction as well as patient counselling. Like ORBIS International KEHRC is also concerned on the growing blindness among the children in the country. Thus both KEHRC and ORBIS International focus on the thematic area of paediatric ophthalmology.    

It is the joint effort of ORBIS International and KEHRC that more than 15,000 children were screened, 1000 children are treated during last one year from March 2005 to Oct 2006. Apart from this more than 200000 population are sensitized and informed on protecting sights.

The commitment and trustworthiness shown by KEHRC and ORBIS International to provide eye care to the marginalised sections cutting across geographic boundaries has been heralding a new era in Orissa. As ORBIS International is determined to strengthen its support to KEHRC, for people of Orissa suffering from low vision/preventable blindness, a good news or two is sure to come.