In a country like India, where the population is touching the sky, hundreds and millions of people come in contact with a new illness, disease, or disability every day. One of these major disabilities faced by people today is cataract-related blindness, which is very common in people over 60 years of age.
With numbers as high as ours, it is difficult for the government hospitals to treat every patient with utmost care. The huge number of cases have affected not only the citizens of the country but also the Indian Health Care system.
Aravind Eye Care – New Beginning
Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy (born on 1 October 1918) was very concerned with the number of patients with cataract blindness. To help people, he established Aravind Eye Care Hospital with the help of the GOVEL trust in Tamil Nadu in 1976.
They named the hospital after Sri Aurobindo, a spiritual leader of the 20th century. Their aim is to eliminate needless blindness, which means blindness that affects people with growing age.
Patient Centric Model
The unique proposition from Aravind Eye care is the patient-centric approach. From the beginning, Aravind Eye Care hospitals have been focused on providing high-quality care at a low cost.
50% of patients at Aravind Eye Care hospital receive free or subsidized rates. Everyone is treated with high-quality care regardless of their economic background. They make no compromise for the well-being of the patient. The outreach programs at Aravind Eye Care hospitals ensure that help is accessible to the people who require their services.
Tele-Ophthalmology network at Aravind eye care hospital was launched in 2002 with support from ORBIS and Acumen fund. This is one of the most innovative and efficient approaches towards consultation and training.
Tele-medicine has been widely established between all Aravind Eye Care network hospitals. The network hospitals use it extensively for patient care and education.
The other aspects of tele ophthalmology include vision center, virtual academy, tele consultation for diabetic retinopathy, and tele consultation for RoP.
Aravind Eye care is often seen as the leading research and development hospital in India in eye care. Lakhs of people in India suffer from corneal blindness. Every year Eye Bank service under Aravind Eyecare performs corneal transplant surgeries for people affected by corneal blindness. The Eye bank also stores the information of people who have pledged to donate their eyes post-death.
Being one of the major eye care networks in India, Aravind Eyecare certainly lives up to their expectations. When it began in 1976, who could’ve thought that today it will become one of the best not only in India but also globally. It is the determination of Dr. Venkataswamy and his will to serve the society that made Aravind Eyecare what it is today. We applaud such success stories from India.