KnowTheGlow (KTG) recently connected with Ms. Priti Pandey, an accomplished optometrist from Lucknow, India, whose dedication to improving eye health in underserved communities has transformed countless lives. With over 15 years of experience, Ms. Pandey has built a career defined by compassion, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to service.
Ms. Pandey’s journey began with inspiration from Dr. G.N. Rao, founder of the LV Prasad Eye Institute, and her work alongside renowned professionals like Dr. Raja Narayanan and Dr. Komal Agarwal, Dr. Swati Kalki and Dr. Subhadra Jalali. These influences shaped her approach, fueling her passion for reaching the most vulnerable populations. In 2022, she established the MRT Charitable Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing critical issues such as myopia in children, cataracts, and eye health education. Through this initiative, she has conducted over 100 eye camps in schools and rural areas, providing vital services to those who might otherwise go unseen.
Her eye camps are nothing short of a lifeline. Screening up to 200 people daily, they offer free vision tests, spectacles for children, and affordable cataract surgeries. Recognizing the cultural stigma around girls wearing glasses, Ms. Pandey has championed awareness campaigns to normalize their use, redefining the narrative around eye health in rural India. Her team’s efforts extend beyond clinical care to include education and follow-up services, ensuring sustainable outcomes for every patient.
Ms. Pandey’s impact goes beyond numbers—it is deeply personal. She has identified and referred life-threatening retinoblastoma cases for specialized treatment, saving lives and offering hope to families in crisis. Her dedication extends to transporting rural patients to urban hospitals for surgeries and partnering with schools to screen children, delivering detailed reports to educators to encourage timely care.
Despite the challenges of financial constraints, logistical hurdles, and cultural barriers, Ms. Pandey remains resolute. She dreams of establishing her own optometry school, expanding outreach programs, and building collaborations with organizations that share her vision. Her work exemplifies the transformative power of persistence and purpose.
Ms. Pandey discovered KnowTheGlow through Facebook ads and entered the Optoglobe/KTG video awareness contest. This connection has sparked an exciting collaboration to raise awareness and improve access to care in India’s rural regions. Her story aligns seamlessly with KTG’s mission to eliminate preventable blindness through early detection and education.
Ms. Priti Pandey’s work is a powerful reminder of the difference one person can make when driven by a deep commitment to others. KnowTheGlow is honored to support her efforts and hopes that her efforts will serve as an example for others to follow. KTG looks forward to collaboratively advancing shared goals of hope, health, and a brighter future for all.
