KeraLink International (KLI) recently partnered with Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital to deliver an infective keratitis workshop in Trilochan Netralaya Sambalpur, India, a highly remote, largely tribal region with limited access to eye care. Hosted by SCEH, alongside Dr. Shiva Prasad Sahoo, Director of Trilochan Netralaya, as part of an ongoing training series, the workshop focused on equipping frontline ophthalmologists and medical trainees with hands-on skills to diagnose and treat corneal infections through live clinical cases and wet lab training. A wet lab is a supervised, hands-on setting where clinicians practice surgical and diagnostic techniques using real instruments and tissue to build practical skills before treating patients.
For many patients in this area, accessing eye care can mean traveling more than three to four hours each way just to be seen, often over difficult roads with limited transportation options. There is no formal cornea training infrastructure or reliable referral network in this area, so local clinicians must rely heavily on their own skills and experience.
Clinicians gathered from six different states, including a participant from India’s northeast, where there are currently no formal cornea training opportunities available. For five medical college students, this was their very first wet lab experience.
Participants were able to examine live patients, perform real-time corneal scrapings, and review slides together. During one memorable case, Dr. Manisha identified a nonfungal infection in real time, giving attendees a powerful demonstration of clinical decision-making in action.
This workshop stood out for its sense of connection. Attendees went out of their way to stay in touch afterwards, forming a growing network of practitioners committed to saving sight in places where resources are scarce.
To better understand the impact, the team conducted pre- and post-surveys for the first time. Eighteen participants completed the pre-survey, helping KLI and SCEH measure meaningful changes in knowledge and confidence.
For the SCEH staff leading the training, getting to Sambalpur was itself a journey: two hours by flight, another ninety minutes to the hospital, and thirty minutes more into the city. Yet that remoteness is exactly why this training matters so much.
When systems are limited, skills become lifelines. Through partnerships like this one with SCEH, KeraLink International is helping clinicians deliver sight-saving care where it is needed most.