Message from the Chairman of the Board, Eye Care Foundation
On behalf of the Board of Eye Care Foundation (ECF), we congratulate you all on the occasion of 28th anniversary of Himalaya Eye Hospital (HEH). It is an honor to write this message for the 2021 Annual Magazine of HEH.
ECF is very proud that we contributed to Himalaya Eye Hospital, having become this well-established eye hospital in Gandaki Province of Nepal. Now HEH is already heading towards making it the center of excellence with up-to-date eye care services at affordable cost. HEH not only started the subspeciality services in Cornea, Retina, Glaucoma, Oculoplastic and Pediatric but also extended its services to different parts of Gandaki and Karnali province through its primary eye care centers (PECC). With the technical support of HEH, now PECC Gorkha and PECC Baglung are upgraded to surgical eye centre and Dhaulagiri Eye Hospital respectively. This is one of the successful example of reaching the unreached.
From now, an important aspect to be remembered is the integration of primary eye health care within the government general health services at community level health facilities. For this HEH also needs to be involved in the advocacy activities. As the hospital activities are growing, HEH priority should continue to focus on improving quality, increasing transparency and human resource development.
This August 2021, the current project agreement with Social Welfare Council, Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh and Eye Care Foundation will come up for renewal. The new project agreement will also entail working together under the new federal structure, adopting the policy and guidelines of provincial and local government. We intend to continue this successful cooperation in the future and look forward to keep on working closely together with Himalaya Eye Hospital.
Congratulations,
Arthur Matthijs Van Praag
Chairman of the Board
Eye Care Foundation
The Netherlands
