RC Payyanur, RID 3204, launched ‘Vision on Wheels,’ a mobile ophthalmic clinic supported by RC Metro Kuala Lumpur, RID 3300, through a global grant, to provide eyecare services to students and underserved communities in Kasaragod and Kannur districts in north Kerala.
The fully-equipped van, valued at ₹38 lakh, was handed over to the Payyanur Eye Foundation and the first screening camp was conducted for students at the Government Upper Primary School, Perumba.
The initiative is expected to cover 778 schools in Kasaragod and 1,608 schools in Kannur, reaching out to around 5.2 lakh students. The mobile clinic, staffed by a team of ophthalmologists, optometrists and support personnel, is equipped with advanced diagnostic tools and a spectacles dispensary to provide prescription eyewear. In addition to school screenings, the van will also be used to conduct free eye camps for senior citizens in rural areas.
The project was executed under the leadership of the club’s past president P Sajith, with club member C R Nambiar heading the implementation team. “The initiative marks a significant step in addressing preventable vision issues among schoolchildren and expanding access to eyecare services in rural Kerala,” said Nambiar.
DG Santhosh Sreedhar and Payyanur MLA T I Madhusudhanan handed over the van keys to Dr K Sukumaran, director of the Payyanur Eye Foundation in the presence of municipal officials, Rotary leaders and healthcare representatives.
Since its launch in August 2025, over 63 screening camps have been executed and it has benefitted around 15,000 students. Around 15 to 18 camps are organised each month, coordinated by a joint implementation committee comprising members of RC Payyanur and the Payyanur Eye Foundation.