Seeing Clearly: A Free Eye Camp Brings Vision Care to Nurbuling’s Children
HEALTH · CHILDREN · NURBULING
A specialist from Tilganga Hospital and a mountain village school teamed up for a day that gave 255 people – most of them kids — their first real eye exam.
By the Heal Nepal Team · Nurbuling, Helambu · November 16, 2024
A HEAL Nepal staff member registers patients as children from Nurbuling look on.
Vision problems in children rarely announce themselves. A child struggling to read the board at school, squinting at homework or simply falling behind isn’t always labeled as an eye problem – it’s just as often mistaken for a learning issue, or missed entirely. In a village like Nurbuling, tucked into the mountains of Helambu, there’s rarely a chance to find out, since the nearest eye specialist can be a full journey away.
On November 16, 2024, HEAL Nepal changed that math for one day. With support from Wilde Ganzen, Stichting Nepal, WVAF and community volunteers, the organization brought a free eye screening camp directly to Nurbuling – along with basic health checkups and free medication for anyone who needed them.
| 255 People Screened | 226 Were Children (0–15) | 7 Hours of Screening |
A Specialist Comes to the Mountain
Comprehensive eye exams — visual acuity and refraction tests were led by Dr. Sonam Lama, an eye specialist from Tilganga Hospital, one of Nepal’s leading eye care institutions. HEAL Nepal’s own team including health assistant Dhirendra Kunwar and nurse Pema Dolma Tamang ran basic health checkups alongside the eye exams, covering blood pressure, blood sugar and oxygen levels.
Nurubuling Manichaur Secondary School played a central role too, mobilizing student volunteers to help with registration and keep the day running smoothly – turning the camp into a genuine community effort.
Dr. Sonam Lama conducts a refraction test using a trial frame during the camp.
A Village Built Around Children
The turnout told its own story: of the 255 people screened, 226 were between 0 and 15 years old. Most of Nurbuling’s youngest residents got a real eye exam that day many for the first time in their lives.
A young child is examined for vision problems, held steady by a parent.
What the Camp Found
The screenings turned up a wide range of conditions. Farsightedness was common among school-aged children – often unnoticed but capable of quietly dragging down academic performance. Nearsightedness showed up more in adults, particularly those doing close-range work. The team also identified cases of cataracts, allergy-related irritation and general eye fatigue across age groups.
Two children were found to have vision impairment severe enough to interfere with their ability to learn and concentrate in school — a finding that underscores exactly why catching these problems early matters so much. Several cases, including advanced cataracts were significant enough to warrant referral for surgery.
Why Nurbuling Needs This
The challenges here go beyond distance. Nurbuling’s mountainous terrain and thin road network make travel to specialized care genuinely difficult and the district’s earthquake risk adds another layer of fragility to already-limited health infrastructure. Many residents farm for a living, and years of sun, dust and outdoor exposure raise the risk of cataracts and other eye conditions. The high altitude itself brings its own hazards – glare, dry air and increased risk of conditions like snow blindness.
Add in the financial barriers that so often keep families from prioritizing eye exams, and it becomes clear why a single free camp can have an outsized impact.
Looking Ahead
- Ensuring every referred patient actually receives follow-up treatment, including transportation support where distance is a barrier
- Bringing regular eye screening programs into schools to catch problems in children early
- Running ongoing community awareness campaigns about eye health and preventive care
- Deepening partnerships with local schools, organizations, and healthcare providers to expand reach
Support This Work
A single day in Nurbuling gave 255 people access to eye care that many had never had before and caught vision problems in children early enough to make a real difference in how they learn and grow. With continued support, HEAL Nepal can bring this kind of care to more villages across Helambu.
Want to help fund the next eye screening camp? Reach out to Heal Nepal to learn how you can support vision care in remote communities like Nurbuling.