Bhubaneswar:22/1/21: Mr. RN Mohanty, CEO of Sightsavers India (Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind), received the prestigious Prof.BiswambharRajguruAward by the Odisha State Ophthalmological Society. Odisha State Ophthalmological Society is the confederation of Ophthalmologists working in the state of Odisha instituted in 1969 and is one of the oldest medical professionals’ associations in the country.
‘Prof. BiswambharRajguru Oration’ Award is given every year to the reputed person for his/her outstanding contribution and leadership in the field of public health domain of ophthalmology. Odisha State Ophthalmological Society selects individuals from Odisha who make an outstanding contribution within and outside of the state in the advancement of ophthalmology in the fight against blindness.
Mr. RN Mohanty was felicitated with the award for the year 2020 in the annual virtual conference of the society held on 9th Jan. 2021. He said, “The distinguished award once again brings me more responsibility and reinforces my commitment towards the cause of the organisation. SightsaversIndia works in some of the most impoverished rural districts along with twenty cities that witness huge floating population from the rural parts of the country.”
In a span of the last five years, Sightsavers India has contributed to more than 1 Million cataract surgeries in its eight primary states including Odisha. Today, Sightsavers in partnership with local NGOs and State Governments in India is committed to transforming the least served districts of the country into self-sustainable and progressive ones in blindness control and in promoting equal opportunities for persons with disabilities.
About Sightsavers India
Sightsavers is a global development organization that has been working in India since 1966 to eliminate avoidable blindness and to ensure that people who are irreversibly blind are supported adequately to lead lives of independence and dignity. Over the past five decades, Sightsavers has reached out to over 55 million people with potential eye problems to date. As of now, they work in 100 districts across 8 states of India bringing eye healthcare, educational support, counseling, training, and leadership development to visually impaired people in some of the least served areas of the country. They work in a sustainable way to promote lasting change by strengthening existing health systems, seeking to advocate with and influence governments, and by demonstrating best practices. We network with like-minded organisations to enable an exchange of ideas and to advocate for the rights of the disabled. Sightsavers believes in promoting technologies in eye healthcare enabling a wider reach of health services in India.