Around us were examples of her prowess as a tailor, skills that helped her raise money to support her family, but which she almost had to abandon well before the age of 50.
Ushua was diagnosed with diabetes when just 35 but, like many in the po
orer levels of Indian society, was unaware of the long-term consequences. Three years ago she lost the sight of one eye and the second was in similar danger. Her daughter, Sheem, insisted she attended a free eye screening camp run by Delhi's Venu Eye Institute, which is supported by funds from Sightsavers International.
Ushua was given laser treatment, which has stopped the deterioration in her vision. She has been able to maintain an independent life in her own home and continue as a seamstress.
It's a success story for Dr Pawan Gupta, a consultant specialising in the laser treatments. "This lady had lost one eye to diabetes so it was important to stop deterioration in the other," he said. "The problem with diabetes is that you can lose an eye very quickly. This treatment means it won't get worse."
Ushua has developed diabetic retinopathy (DR), a recognised complication of the disease caused by lack of insulin.
In countries such as India, with its vast population of 1.1 billion, shortages of eye care specialists and equipment mean cases are much more difficult to pick up. What is worse is that as India develops into a modern economy, it is rapidly picking up western habits, leading to poorer health and an explosion in DR cases.
"Lifestyles are changing and not necessarily for the better," Gupta said. "People have more money to spend and so they eat out in fast food restaurants. Cars are getting cheaper so people are not walking or cycling as much as they used to. Our focus used to be on treating cataracts but that is now being overtaken by DR. It is becoming the next big epidemic.
"We used to see this condition only in people over 50. Now we see it in people over 40 and this is increasing all the time."
India already has 35 million diabetics, more than any country in the world, and this figure is expected to rise to 80 million by 2030. This makes screening for DR, particularly in densely crowded urban areas, essential if a new wave of blindness is to be stopped in its tracks.
But community screening clinics are often among the last initiatives to receive government funding, increasing their dependence on organisations such as Sightsavers International. Charitable donations allow clinics to be run free of charge with £45 paying for the cost of screening 100 people.
Once cases are discovered they are referred to the Venu, where laser treatment to repair leaking or blocked blood vessels in the eye is available at subsidised prices.
Gupta is currently treating Mahesh Anand, a photographer whose vision was already 70% damaged by DR when he was found at a screening clinic.
"He is struggling now to maintain his wife and two children," Gupta said. "We cannot give him back what he has lost, but without treatment his vision would have been totally destroyed."
The full article contains 568 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
