Founded: 1976

Founder: Dr. G. Venkataswamy

Mission: “to eliminate needless blindness”

Aravind is the largest and most productive eye care facility in the world. Taking its compassionate services to the doorstep of rural India, Aravind's stunningly effective strategies vaulted barriers of distance, poverty and ignorance to create a self-sustaining system.

From April 2009 to March 2010, including the work done in the Managed Eye Hospitals, over 2.5million out patients were treated and over 300,000 surgeries were performed.

Today the Aravind Eye Care System encompasses:

5 hospitals

3 managed eye hospitals

1 manufacturing center for ophthalmic products

1 international research foundation and a resource and training center that is revolutionizing hundreds of eye care programs across the developing world.

Genesis

Our effort is to make Aravind an instrument of the Divine Will. We strive to forget our limitations and work with the direction of the Divine Will, not in a vain superficial way but with a deep commitment and faith that guidance comes from a higher level of consciousness. Then one is able to work with the great confidence that comes only with that faith and realization that we are all part of a spiritual capacity or spiritual power. It is then that all of nature works with you. You don't feel that you are a superior being but you are an instrument in the hands of a higher force and it is in that spirit that we meet our day to day struggles and successes. -Dr. G. Venkataswamy

Guiding Philosophy

Aravind Eye Hospitals are named after Sri Aurobindo, one of the 20th century’s most revered spiritual leaders. In essence, Sri Aurobindo’s teachings focus on mankind’s transcendence into a heightened state of consciousness through service, as an instrument of what he called the Divine Force.

At Aravind one finds, combined with modern technology and management practices, a measure of compassionate spirituality, an awareness beyond the matter-of-fact, and the impetus of a mission.

Challenges in a Developing Country

Growing population, inadequate infrastructure, low per capita income, aging population, diseases in epidemic proportions and illiteracy.

Alternate Health Care: Aravind Model

Given the magnitude of blindness and the challenges faced in a developing country, the Government alone cannot meet the health needs of all. Realising this predicament, Dr. Venkataswamy wanted to establish an alternate health care model that would supplement the efforts of the Government and also be self-supporting. Hence, upon his retirement in 1976, he established the GOVEL Trust to initiate eye care work.

Under this Trust, the Aravind Eye Hospitals were founded. Today, Aravind is more than an eye hospital. It is :

a social organisation committed to the goal of elimination of needless blindness through comprehensive eye care services.

an international training centre for ophthalmic professionals and trainees who come from within India and around the world to teach or to learn, to offer their skills and to acquire new ones.

an institute for research that contributes to the development of eye care. an institute to train health-related and managerial personnel in the development and

implementation of efficient and sustainable eye care programmes.

a manufacturer of world class ophthalmic products available at affordable costs.

Founder

Intelligence and capability are not enough. There must be the joy of doing something beautiful.

- Dr. G. Venkataswamy

Dr.G. Venkataswamy (Dr. V) was born in 1918 in a small village in South India. He received his medical degree from Stanley Medical College, Chennai in 1944. He joined the Indian Army Medical Corps, but had to retire in 1948 after developing severe rheumatoid arthritis – a disease that left his fingers crippled and changed the course of his life. Despite his condition he returned to medical school and earned a Diploma and Masters degree in ophthalmology. With hard work and determination, Dr. V. trained himself to hold a scalpel and to perform cataract surgery. In time, he personally performed over one hundred thousand successful eye surgeries.

He joined the faculty at Madurai Medical College as the head of the department of ophthalmology and later served as the Vice Dean. 

In these capacities he introduced a number of innovative programmes to attack the problem of blindness in India, including the outreach eye camps, the initiation of a training programme for ophthalmic assistants and the world’s first rehabilitation centre for the blind.

For much of his life Dr. V. has been a pioneering eye surgeon. In 1976, upon his retirement at age 58, he formed the GOVEL Trust under which the Aravind Eye Hospital was founded.

Guided by a philosophy that taught the spirituality of service, driven by compassion far beyond the ordinary and backed by the support and assistance of those who believed in his vision, Dr. V. set in motion a 30-year old, and still continuing, crusade against blindness. His work and its remarkable results have gained international recognition. He is the recipient of many national and international awards. The Helen Keller International Award, the IAPB Award, the International Blindness Prevention Award by the AAO and the Padmashree award from the Government of India are a few among them.

Milestones

Facilities

1976 Aravind Eye Hospital began in Madurai in a rented house with 11 beds

1977 Additional building with accommodation for 30 patients was built.

1978 Low-cost Free Hospital expanded to accommodate 100 patients (Presently houses the Aravind Centre for Women, Children and Community Health)

1980 Moved into the present facility which was only partially completed at the time

1982 Present facility fully completed with 200 beds and 3 operating rooms.

1984 The free hospital moved to its current location with accommodations for 400 patients and 3 operating rooms.

1985 The second Aravind Eye Hospital with accommodations for 20 paying and 130 free patients at Theni

1988 Third Aravind Eye Hospital at Tirunelveli accommodates 135 paying and 400 free patients

1991 Facilities at Madurai expanded to accommodate 280 paying and 1100 free patients. Outpatient area moved into the new extension

1992 Aurolab - The non-profit charitable trust established to provide modern technology at affordable costs.

1996 The establishment of a teaching and training institute, the Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO)

1997 Fourth Aravind Eye Hospital was inaugurated at Coimbatore with facilities for 175 paying and 600 free patients

1999 A hostel was built to accommodate residential Postgraduate doctors.

2001 The free hospital is expanded with the addition of a new block at the children's hospital premises with a capacity to accommodate 400 patients.

2001 A spacious nurses quarters was built near the hospital at Madurai, to accommodate 600 nurses.

2003 Fifth Aravind Eye Hospital was inaugurated at Pondicherry with facilities for 150 paying and 600 free patients

2004 Aravind extended its arm to serve the people where there was no ophthalmologists by opening an out-patient clinic at Melur in Madurai district. It serves the local people and villagers of the surrounding area

2004 Aravind opened its first Vision Centre at Ambasamudram, a village near Theni. The Centre is equipped with high-bandwidth wireless connectivity enabling data network link with the Theni Hospital.

2004 Aravind opened its second Vision Centre at Andipatti, a village near Theni. The Centre is equipped with high-bandwidth wireless connectivity enabling data network link with the Theni Hospital.

2005 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Bodinayakanur in Theni district. It serves the local people and villagers of the surrounding area.

2005 Aravind extended its arm to serve the people where there was no ophthalmologists by opening a Community Centre at Thirumangalam in Madurai district. It serves the local people and villagers of the surrounding area.

2006 Aravind opened another Vision Centre at Chinnamanur in Theni district. It serves the local people and villagers of the surrounding area.

2006 Aravind opened its fifth Vision Centre at Periyakulam in Theni district. It serves the local people and villagers of the surrounding area.

2006 Aravind Eye Hospital inaugurated its new community Eye clinic at Tuticorin.

2006 Aravind Eye Hospital inaugurated its new branch at Tirupur.

2007 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Alanganallur in Madurai district

2007 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Thirupuvanam in Madurai district

2007 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Kallidaikurichi in Tirunelveli district

2007 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Srivaikuntam in Tirunelveli district

2007 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Thirukkanur in Puducherry district

2007 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Rameshwaram in Ramanathapuram district

2007 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Marakkanam in Villupuram district

2007 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Periyanaickenpalayam in Coimbatore district

2007 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Gandhigram in Dindigul District

2007 Aurolab's new building was inaugurated at Veerapanchan in Madurai.

2007 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Kinathukadavu in Coimbatore District

2007 Aravind opened a Vision Centre at Madukarai in Puducherry District

Manpower Development

1978 : Ophthalmic nurse training

1981 : Accredited for Residency training (Dip.N.B.) at Madurai Started training ophthalmic personnel from other developing countries

1982 : Accredited for Diploma in Ophthalmology (D.O.)

1988 : Started fellowship training in Retina & Vitreous

1990 : Fellowship training in Cornea, Glaucoma and Paediatric ophthalmology

1992 : Designated as a WHO collaborating centreLAICO - Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology started with funding support from Lions International Aravind-TVL accredited for Residency Training (Dip. N.B.)

1993 : Accredited for MS in Ophthalmology (M.S.) : Aravind-Sight Savers microsurgery training in cataract surgery (ECCE with PC-IOL) developed for practicing ophthalmologists

1994 : World Bank - Training of Trainers Programme.

1994 : Aravind Sight Savers Indirect Ophthalmoscopy and Lasers Training

2000 : Dip. N.B. accreditation at Aravind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore

2001 : National Board Fellowship (Retina-vitreous and Paediatric ophthalmology)

2003 : Aravind Eye Care System and ORBIS International have jointly established the training programmes in paediatric ophthalmology

2004 : Aravind Eye Hospital started a short-term training course in Low Vision

2006 : Aravind Eye Care System Launches “School of Optometry” in Madurai. This school will offer a 2 year Diploma in Optometry which is recognized by the Madurai Kamaraj University and also other short term courses on hospital and optical related specializations.

ARAVIND EYE CARE SYSTEM

Chairman DR. R.D. RAVINDRAN MS, DOChairman – Emeritus DR. P. NAMPERUMALSAMY MS, FAMSDirector – Emeritus DR. M. SRINIVASAN MS, DO

  CENTRAL OFFICE

Director – Finance MR. G. SRINIVASAN BE, MS Director - Human Resources DR. G. NATCHIAR MS, DO Director – Operations MR. R.D. THULASIRAJ MBA Director – Quality DR. R.D. RAVINDRAN MS, DO Director IT & Technology DR. R. KIM DO, DNB Director – Academics DR. N.VENKATESH PRAJNA DNB, FRCO Director – Projects DR. S. ARAVIND MS, MBA Director – Research DR. P.NAMPERUMALSAMY MS, FAMS  

AUROLAB

Managing Director DR. P. BALAKRISHNAN BE, PH.D  

  LAICO

  Executive Director MR. R.D. THULASIRAJ MBA    

ARAVIND EYE BANKS  

ROTARY ARAVIND INTERNATIONAL EYE BANK – MADURAI Medical Director DR. M. SRINIVASAN MS ROTARY ARAVIND EYE BANK – TIRUNELVELI Medical Director DR. R. RAMAKRISHNAN MS, DO ARAVIND-IOB EYE BANK – COIMBATORE Medical Director DR. V. NARENDRAN DO, DNB

ARAVIND EYE BANK ASSOCIATION OF PONDICHERRY Medical Director DR. K. TIRUVENGADAKRISHNAN DO, DNB

DR.G.VENKATASWAMY EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Director DR. VR. MUTHUKKARUPPAN M.SC, PH.D    

ARAVIND EYE HOSPITALS

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICERS   ARAVIND – MADURAI DR. S.R. KRISHNADAS DO, DNB ARAVIND - THENI DR. DIPANKAR DATTA DO, DNB, MNAMSOPHARAVIND - TIRUNELVELI DR. R. RAMAKRISHNAN MS, DO ARAVIND - COIMBATORE DR. V. NARENDRAN DO, DNB ARAVIND - PONDICHERRY DR. R. VENKATESH DO, DNB

The hallmarks of the Aravind model are quality care and productivity at prices that everyone can afford. A core principle of the Aravind System is that the hospital must provide services to the rich and poor alike, yet be financially self-supporting. This principle is achieved through high quality, large volume care and a well-organised system.

Aravind Eye Hospitals began in 1976 with just 11 beds. Today, in addition to the hospital in Madurai, there are four other Aravind Eye Hospitals in Theni, Tirunelveli Coimbatore, and Pondicherry with a

combined total of nearly 3,590 beds.

At Aravind Eye Hospitals great stress is placed on maximum utilisation of resources.

With less than 1% of the country's ophthalmic manpower, Aravind accounts for 5% of the ophthalmic surgeries performed nationwide. The hospitals have well-equipped specialty clinics with comprehensive support facilities.

2,539,615 outpatient visits were handled and 302,180 surgeries were performed at the Aravind Eye Hospitals from April 2009 to March 2010. Two-third of the outpatient visits and three-fourth of the surgeries were serviced to the poor, free of cost.

About Education and Training

Aravind Eye Hospitals were started with a mission to eradicate needless blindness. Over the last 30 years, Aravind has contributed extensively to prevention of blindness in the country. In view of the existing backlog of cataract and other causes of blindness, India requires many more institutions of this kind.

Aravind Eye Hospitals has gained national and international reputation for its service orientation, modern ophthalmic techniques and its community-based outreach activities which deliver quality eye care to the rural masses. Its operational research has practical applications in the formulation of effective blindness prevention programmes. To take up the challenge of blindness, Aravind has recognised the need to develop human resources - ophthalmologists, paramedics, eye care managers and support service personnel.

Several training programmes have been designed to develop ophthalmic manpower. Catering to all levels of ophthalmic teaching and training, these are intended not only for ophthalmologists but also for ophthalmic technicians, opticians, clinical assistants, outreach coordinators and health care managers. These training programmes are both long term and short term, and some of these are affiliated to local universities. The postgraduate clinical courses are affiliated to Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai. The postgraduate courses in Optometry & Ophthalmic Assistance are affiliated to Madurai Kamaraj University. Apart from these, a six week training course in the maintenance of ophthalmic surgical instruments and other equipment for technicians is also offered.

Dissemination of knowledge and skills in eye care will not only satisfy the needs of the institution but also take care of the needs of the country. Aravind has also recognised the need for transition from conventional surgical procedures to state-of-the-art techniques in management of cataracts. It offers short term training courses in IOL microsurgery, lasers in diabetic retinopathy management and glaucoma diagnosis and therapy and also a five day course in instrument maintenance for ophthalmologists.

Continuing Medical Education programmes and workshops are offered on a regular basis. The institution along with Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology works with several eye hospitals in India and abroad to improve their capacity to provide high volume, high quality care and enabling them to become financially self-reliant in the long run.

Aravind Eye Care System has extended its activities by expanding the research facilities and has started

Ph.D programme in ophthalmology, genetics and immunology for medical graduates in affiliation with the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University; Ph.D in affiliation with Madurai Kamaraj University in Biomedical science for non-medical graduates, and Ph.D in Biotechnology and Humanities and social sciences in affliation with Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai.

Custom Designed Courses     

In addition to the structured short term and long term courses described earlier, Aravind and LAICO also offer learning opportunities to meet with the specific needs of individuals and organisations. Such training is offered through-out the year and the actual scheduling is based on mutual convenience. These requests often take the form of observation, some hands-on training and spending time in specific clinical or administrative areas. The duration of such learning, actual dates and costs (if any) vary from one request to another. The broad areas where such learning opportunities are often requested and provided are:

A. CLINICAL AREAS

Operation Theatre Management Ward and Out-patient Management Observing Specific Surgical and Laser Procedures Observing and learning advanced diagnostic procedures like field analyser, corneal topography,

ultrasound scan, etc. Short-term exposures to specific aspects in specialty areas like Retina, Glaucoma, Pediatric

Ophthalmology, Cornea, etc.

B. NON-CLINICAL AREAS

Eye Hospital Administration Medical Records Purchase and Inventory Management Accounting and Financial Management Housekeeping Maintenance Management Use of Computers in Hospitals Advice on Specific Capital and Equipment Purchase Advice on Architectural design for Expansion Inputs on Planning a New Hospital Project Developing Training Activities Assistance in carrying Out Surveys Dispensing Spectacles (surfacing, edging, fitting and counter sales)

CMES, Workshops, ConferencesSeveral times a year, Aravind-Madurai, Tirunelveli and Coimbatore arrange Continuing Medical Education programmes (CME) for ophthalmologists from all over the country and abroad. Eminent faculty from India and abroad conduct these seminars, workshops and clinical/surgical demonstrations.

SHORT COURSES AND WORKSHOPS

Throughout the year, several short courses and workshops are organised, both on the clinical and

management side. Such clinical courses are usually of two days duration while the management or non-clinical courses are spread over one week. Information on these courses are sent to institutions and individuals two to three months in advance. These courses are designed as an update on knowledge and skills, to enable professionals keep in touch with latest developments.

UPDATE IN OPHTHALMOLOGY FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

Aravind-Madurai conducts an ophthalmology update for exam-going postgraduates (DO, MS, Dip.NB, MRCO). Candidates from government and other private institutions in the country are eligible for this course. It provides an update in theory, diagnostic aids and clinical management. Model examinations focusing on case discussions, case presentations and clinical examinations enable candidates to face their forthcoming examinations with confidence.

The course is conducted once a year during the first/second week of September.

Pre-Arrival Formalities

Visa

A Visa is necessary for you to travel to India. Please contact your local Indian Embassy or Consulate for the proper forms and information. Depending on the length of your stay it may be necessary for a `Residential Permit' from the Police Department in Madurai on arrival.

It is advisable for any assignee to carry additional copies of visa/ passport/ residential permit. Having spare passport sized photographs with you will also be useful.

Insurance

It is advisable to obtain a travel insurance policy to cover theft, loss and medical problem before leaving for India. There are a wide range of policies, and your travel agent can advise you. Be sure to check the small print that covers things like an emergency flight home with a medical escort and the ambulance costs. Keep a copy of this policy apart from the original.

General

Before leaving your own country you should visit your doctor to receive information on the precautions and vaccinations needed for India.

Since India can be quite dusty, contact lens wearers may find it difficult especially in the rural areas. It is advisable to bring along a pair of sunglasses and some sunscreen lotion.

ARAVIND MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION

The Aravind Eye Research Institute is run by the Aravind Medical Research Foundation (AMRF). AMRF was formed to investigate issues concerned with causes and treatment of various eye diseases and problems related to delivery of eye care. The research activities at Aravind reflect Aravind's commitment to finding new ways to reduce the burden of blindness. The combination of high clinical load, extensive community participation, and access to a large network of eye hospitals provides ideal opportunities for conducting clinical, laboratory, population-based studies and social and health systems research.

Facilities Available:  EquipmentsAMRF has well-equipped ophthalmic research laboratories for studies on Molecular Genetics, Immunology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology of eye diseases.

Recognition for PhD Studies: The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University has recognized Aravind Eye Hosptial for PhD studies in Genetics, immunology and ophthalmology for medical graduates. Madurai Kamaraj University has recognized AMRF for a PhD programme in biomedical sciences, while LAICO (The Lions Aravind Institute for Community Ophthalmology) has been recognized by IIT Madras in two areas: humanities and social sciences as well as bio-technology.

Beyond Today: Now with the establishment of Centres of Excellence within Aravind’s specialty clinics, alongside its continued emphasis on academic rigor and its recent thrust on developing comprehensive service delivery models in areas like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and pediatric ophthalmology, as well as its rapid strides in the field of tele-ophthalmology with remote consultations and the creation of a special software for diagnosis and teleconferencing between hospitals Aravind is poised as never before to take on a new challenge.

The Focus: Aravind is aware that its current position yields enormous opportunities for basic research and as such it feels called upon to initiate the establishment of the Aravind Eye Research Institute along with like-minded partners. The main focus of this institute will not only be on investigating and evaluating the genetic factors of vision robbing diseases like cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, retinoblastoma (eye cancer) etc but to also engineer against the gene mutations by developing a process to arrest and to

rectify, if possible. The estimated cost of this ambitious project is 15 crores. While Aravind has come forward to contribute the physical space for the institute, and will also provide support in terms of infrastructure, staff, equipment and other resources, it is looking now for partners committed to the same cause to come forward and join its efforts by pledging support in any of a number of different ways.

How you can contribute Areas of Support: Contributions can be through any of the following means:

1. Financial donations (donors contributing above a certain sum will be eligible to fund an entire area of research)

2. Research equipment donations3. Deputing and funding visiting scientists and research scholars to the Institute4. Undertaking the finances for one or more research projects5. Undertaking finances for building one floor of the institute6. Undertaking to bear in full or a part of the recurring expenses of the institute etc. As Aravind

prepares to take this bold and necessary venture forward it invites all NGOs, INGOs, governmental bodies, corporate organizations, philanthropists and individuals to join hands in order to make this Institute a truly global collaboration, and to hasten the collective effort to combat needless blindness worldwide.

Scale of WorkIn addition to laboratory-based research, the studies carried over here cover a broad spectrum of areas, including:

Hospital-based randomised clinical trials that evaluate surgical techniques and conduct drug trials

Community-based randomised clinical trials that study the impact of Vitamin A supplementation on the morbidity and mortality of infants and children; role of antioxidants in cataract prevention

Population-based surveys: Beneficiary assessment; prevalence surveys; rapid assessment; impact assessment of cataract intervention

Qualitative research: Using Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) Techniques to ascertain patient's barriers in accessing eye care services in a community; development of quality of life assessment instruments for persons with visual disability

Health systems research: Operations research to evaluate the effectiveness of community interventions in providing cataract services; assessment of eye care infrastructure utilisation

Research Collaborators:The University of Iowa,USA.PHLS Central Public Health Laboratory,London.Proctor Eye Foundation,USA.National Eye institute,USA.Doheny Institute,ISA.International Centre for Eye Health,London.Madurai Kamaraj University,India.

LAICO  (Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology)

LAICO was founded with the mission of contributing to the prevention and control of global blindness through teaching, training, consultancy, advocacy and research in eye care delivery. Since its inception in 1993 it has accomplished a great deal towards fulfilling this mission.

LAICO’s work makes it possible for Aravind to transfer the best of its expertise and experience to an ever-increasing number of eye care institutes across India and the rest of the developing world. Its global impact on the quality and efficiency of eye care delivery is steadily growing.

Activities:The activities of the institute contributing to eye care in India and other developing countries can be broadly classified under the following areas:

Capacity Building of other eye hospitals Training Programmes – Clinical and Non-Clinical Research Activities and Projects Publications Support to Aravind eye Hospitals and Aurolab Advocacy and Contribution to Eye Care Programmes at National and International level through

the Government and International NGOs.

LAICO provides needs-based support to the network of Aravind Eye Hospitals and Aurolab. This support is offered through various ways, one being systems development which allows efficient use of resources, another key area is quality management. LAICO also offers support in planning and conducting workshops.

The support offered by LAICO serves to enhance functioning in areas such as Human Resource, Purchase, Information Technology, Quality Assurance, Financial Management, Research and General Systems and procedures.

Faculty As LAICO offers management support and consultancy services to hospitals in India and abroad, the

faculty of the institute is able to incorporate a considerable amount of practical perspective in their teaching. The Institute Faculty consist of experts in the field of Management Sciences, Health Economics, Public Health, Hospital Management, Information Technology, Bio-statistics and Social Sciences. The courses are supported by the senior faculty from Aravind Eye Hospitals for clinical training. Visiting faculty from reputed training institutes and hospitals in India and abroad are also involved.

Facilities The institute is located in a separate building with an area of 50,000 sq.ft. It has a well-equipped audiovisual unit, resource centre, library and publications division. The PG hostel provides comfortable accommodation for visiting faculty and students. The Institute’s Library and Resource Centre has an impressive collection of books, periodicals, videos, reports on eye-care programmes from around the world and on all aspect of community ophthalmology and hospital management. All LAICO programmes and activities have the full advantage of complete and open access to the Aravind Eye Hospitals and all their activities as observational models with opportunities for data collection and research, and a forum for practical hands-on projects and skills development.

Collaborating Agencies LAICO works closely with International organizations like World Health Organization, Lions International, Seva Foundation (USA), Sight Savers International (UK), International Eye Foundation (USA), Seva Service Society (Canada), CBM (Germany), Proctor Foundation (USA), Rotary International (USA) and the National Eye Institute (USA). LAICO also works closely with the Government of India, other NGO’s and the Government of Tamilnadu in the National Programme for the Control of Blindness.

AUROLAB

Aurolab, the manufacturing division of Aravind Eye Hospital, supplies high quality ophthalmic consumables at affordable prices to developing countries. Since its inception in 1992 as a non-profit charitable trust, Aurolab has set up manufacturing facilities to produce intraocular lenses (IOLs), suture needles, pharmaceuticals, spectacle lenses and hearing aids.

The international organizations that actively participated in developing the various activities in Aurolab

include Seva Foundation, USA; Sight Savers International, UK; Combat Blindness Foundation, USA; Seva Service Society, Canada; CBM International, Germany; CIDA, Canada; Al-Noor Foundation, Saudi Arabia. Aurolab products are primarily supplied to non-profit eye care programs at affordable prices. Aurolab products include

Community Outreach

An integral part of Aravind is its community outreach programmes like screening eye camps, school eye health programme, village volunteer programme all of which provide different strategies for taking eye care service to the doorstep of the community. They provide curative, preventive and rehabilitative care to the community along with IEC (information, education & communication) programmes to improve service delivery to potential patients in the community.

Screening Eye Camps Through free eye camps, medical teams from each hospital reach patients in rural areas. The teams work closely with local community leaders and service groups to organise the camps. Eye camps are conducted every day of the week. During the year 2006, a total of 1,793 camps were conducted, at which 2,313,398 patients were examined and 270,444 site restoration surgeries have been performed. The medical team is also involved in educating the local community in the maintenance of proper eye care. Towards this end, the staff is currently implementing several comprehensive eye care projects. These projects include screening for diabetes-related eye disorders, eye screening at schools and treatment of children suffering from refractive errors, strabismus and Vitamin A deficiency. By bringing eye care services directly to the community, Aravind makes a significant contribution towards reducing needless blindness.

Apart from screening camps, other outreach activities include: Community-Based Comprehensive Rehabilitation Programme School Children Screening Village Volunteers Programme Refraction Camps Diabetic Retinopathy detection and awareness camps.

A Trip to an Eye Camp  

     

 

Step 1:Patient registration: The camp team, composed of ophthalmologists and paramedical staff, proceed to the campsite. With support from camp sponsors, local volunteers (usually students with legible handwriting) record the patient details - name, age and address - in the OP register and case sheet. Patients are given identity cards, which may be used for any future follow-up.

Step 2:Preliminary vision testing: Preliminary vision testing is performed by ophthalmic assistants. Vision charts, such as the Snellen (in the local language) and E type charts, are used.

Step 3:Preliminary diagnostic examination: Doctors perform the preliminary examination. Clinical conditions such as external eye infections, vision loss caused by nutritional deficiency and the incurably blind are examined.

Step 4:Tension and duct examination: Patients above the age of 40 have their intraocular pressure tested. Trained ophthalmic assistants administer topical anaesthetic drops and measure the intraocular pressure with a Schiotz tonometer. Facilities for the patients to lie on, additional benches for waiting patients, and adequate lighting are necessary.

Step 5: Refraction: Refraction is performed on patients who exhibit refractive errors, presbyopia, outdated glasses, or aphakia. This process occurs in a simple, prefabricated, dark cubicle which is equipped with one or more foldaway partitions, trial lens sets, and mirrors. Well-trained ophthalmic technicians refract while volunteers control the patient flow.

Step 6: Final examination: Senior doctors evaluate the test findings, perform the final examination, review the patient records, make the final diagnoses and prescribe treatment. (In a small camp, one doctor conducts both the preliminary and the final examinations.) Patients advised for surgery are motivated by the counsellor to undergo surgery at the hospital.

Step 7:Optical Shop - Sales persons and technicians from optical division also attend the screening camp. Patients advised to wear glasses may purchase ready-made spectacles, if available. Otherwise, the optician finishes the lens on a grinding machine, mounts the lens in the frames chosen by the patient, and delivers the finished spectacles to the patient at the same camp site.

Step 8: Counselling & IP Administration - Patients counselled at the campsite are registered in IP register and transported to the base hospital for surgery. These patients receive surgery, postoperative care, meals, and round-trip transportation all free of cost. Camp sponsors are communicated the results of camp, viz., patients screened, number of surgeries performed, patient discharged etc.

Who Can Sponsor a Camp?

Any individual or voluntary social service organisation - such as Lions, Rotary, religious groups, industries, trusts, banks, hospitals, rural service organisations, recreation clubs, farmers associations, panchayat presidents - interested in the community welfare may sponsor an eye camp.

Sponsors' Role The sponsors should play the primary role in setting up the campsite, arranging facilities and publicising the camp. They are responsible for assembling patients and providing lodging and food for the medical team.

55% of sponsors provide one-way bus fare for 100 camp patients in Aravind-Madurai.Besides these expenses, they also sponsor publicity expenses and Medical team hospitality expenses.

45% of sponsors meet only the publicity expenses in Aravind - Madurai.

How to sponsor a camp? A village with a population of at least thirty to fifty thousand including the surrounding areas is selected for conducting an eye camp. A convenient venue (such as a large school building in the area) and a suitable date (which does not interfere with local festivals, marriages and other functions or with other camps) will be selected for conducting the camp.

The sponsors should: Plan for manpower and finance to conduct widespread publicity through all possible media. Delegate a separate team of members and volunteers to look after the publicity work Arrange boarding and lodging for the medical team if the location is beyond 125km from the

base hospital Arrange transport for patients between the villages and the site of the camp, if the camp venue is

not accessible to a radius of 5 to 10 Kms.

Free Eye Camps From January 2006 to March 2007 , a total of 1793 screening camps were conducted by the Aravind Eye Hospitals and a total of 505,621 patients were screened. 112,825 of them underwent surgery. In the last few years Aravind has been conducting speciality camps for specific patient groups, and under this category conducts:

Eye Screening Camps for School Children

From January 2006 to March 2007, 118,912 children in 94 schools were screened for eye defects and 8,068 children were found to have visual defects. The free screening camp for school children in and around Madurai is being undertaken by Aravind Eye Care System since the year 1990 however the spectacle Distribution became more regular and reached all needy with the initiative from UK based charitable trust- Little Drops Charity Trust since the year 2004. They have made the decision to continue this support is being extended to one of our Satellite hospitals also at Theni (70 kms from Madurai). In this context we are happy to say in the year 2006 alone the beneficiaries were 1014 children

EYE SCREENING FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN

  Madurai Theni Tirunelveli Coimbatore Puducherry Total

Schools covered 23 9 16 20 26 94

Teachers trained 27 46 158 45 90 366

Students screened 50608 6765 18985 25097 17457 118912

Students with defects 3159 405 1503 1647 1354 8068

Refraction Camps Joining hands with industries, transport companies, banks and government bodies, Aravind conducts refraction camps for their employees. Thousands of patients attending these camps benefit from the on-the-spot dispensation of quality prescription glasses almost immediately at a fraction of the cost they would otherwise uncur. In 2006-07, a total of 162 refraction camps were conducted, where 34,794 employees were screened and 9,727 were found to have refractive errors and prescribed glasses.

Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Camps Through 451 DR screening camps conducted through Lions and WDF projects, a total of 70,993 people were screened in 2006-07. Of them 18,084 had diabetes and 3,385 of them suffered from diabetic retinopathy.

Camp Statistics         Sponsor Camps Out-Patients Cat.&IOL Others Total

1 Lions Clubs 586 171045 39431 893 40324

2 Rotary Clubs 89 29267 7128 212 7340

3 Vivekananda Kendra 51 10689 2160 74 2234

4 Sri Sathya Sai Orgns. (BSSSSO) 38 9089 1759 61 1820

5 Religious Organisations 127 34415 2709 237 8347

6 Jaycees 5 1727 316 11 327

7 Banks 16 5516 707 16 723

8 Mills & Factories 89 34710 6930 188 7118

9 DBCS 61 11905 4440 168 4608

10 Educational Institutions 86 21563 4284 149 4433

11 Hospitals 47 11284 1552 36 1588

12 Trusts 128 39200 8084 208 8298

13 Youth Welfare Association 34 11277 1934 57 1991

14 Other Voluntary Organisations 211 48033 10164 190 10354

15 Others 225 65898 12681 645 13326

Total 1793 505621 109680 3145 112825

The Rotary Eye Bank Out of a total 35,000 eyes received in the year 2008 by eye banks throughout country through eye donations, only a third meet all the criteria of medical standards, as per the requirement for quality control of eye banks.

The Rotary Aravind International Eye Bank The Rotary Aravind International Eye Bank seeks to provide a sustainable solution to the problem of corneal blindness, which affects 2.5 to 3.0 million persons in India. The initiative of the Rotary District 3000 under the matching grants programme funded the establishment of the eye bank. It collects, evaluates, processes and distributes viable corneal tissues for corneal transplant surgeons. The Rotary Aravind International Eye Bank - Madurai was officially set up in the year 1998 and is one of the 7 eye banks in the country affiliated to the International Federation of Eye Banks (IFEB), which stipulates stringent standards of quality for corneas used in transplants.

Aravind - IOB Eye bank, Coimbatore Aravind Eye Bank was started on 28th January, 2005 with Dr,V.Narendrans as the Medical Director. Mr. M. Shanmugam, Deputy General Manager, Indian Overseas Bank, Coimbatore, inaugurated Aravind IOB Eye Bank. Dr.P.Namperumalsamy, Mr.G.Srinivasan, Dr.PDG Pratap Gokul Das, Rotary International District 3200 and Lion MJF.Sarathamani Palaniswamy were a few of the others who participated in the inaugural function. Several awareness creation programmes were also organised on various significant dates to initiate and motivate people for eye donation.

Rotary Aravind Eye Bank, Tirunelveli Rotary Aravind Eye Bank, Tirunelveli was started on 28th May 2004 in collaboration with the Rotary Foundation R.I.Districts 3210 and 5750, Rotary Club of North West Oklahoma City USA, Rotary Club of South Oklahoma City, USA, Rotary Club of Tirunelveli West, India. The Rotary Aravind Eye Bank MG Project #23486 supported with initial grant.

Aravind Eye Bank Association of Pondicherry Eye Bank was started on 19th December 2005 and it is registered with EBAI. Dr.Tiruvengada Krishnan is the Medical Director of Eye Bank. It coveres Chinnasalem, Chidambaram, Neyveli Lignite Nagar, Panruti, Virdhachalam, Villupuram, Vikravandi, Nelikuppam, Ulunthurpet, Sethyathoppu, Sankarapuram, and Thyagadurgam.

Functions of Eye Bank: Procurement of eyes Processing of eyeballs Distribution of Corneal tissues Training to Eye Bank technicians & corneal surgeons Promote public relation activities Provide eye tissues for Training & Research

PERFORMANCE OF THE EYE BANK - MADURAI

Year Eyes Recovered Used For Transplantation

1998 253 138

1999 781 443

2000 851 485

2001 859 408

2002 1471 553

2003 1420 495

2004 1515 562

2005 1610 530

2006 1752 668

20071,759 618

2008 1,961 610

Total 14,232 5510

PERFORMANCE OF THE EYE BANK - COIMBATORE

Year Eyes Recovered Used For Transplantation

1997 32 20

1998 162 127

1999 185 155

2000 208 161

2001 284 167

2002 404 164

2003 415 163

2004 367 207

2005 438 272

2006 730 338

2007 792 307

2008 1068 370

Total 5085 2451

PERFORMANCE OF THE EYE BANK - TIRUNELVELI

Year Eyes Recovered Used For Transplantation

2004 22 9

2005 44 13

2006 62 34

2007 36 31

2008 82 52

Total 246 139

PERFORMANCE OF THE EYE BANK - PONDICHERRY

Year Eyes Recovered Used For Transplantation

2004 98 19

2005 128 70

2006 126 101

2007 198 107

2008 248 123

Total 798 420

IT & Systems Department

Aravind Computer Department was started in 1983 with 2 Apple computers for patient statistics and reports generation. LAN was setup in 1990 and online system patient care management was implemented in March 1991 with 11 computers at Madurai. In Tirunelveli, online system was implemented in 1995 and in Theni it was implemented in 1997. Coimbatore and Pondicherry hospitals were started in 1997 and 2001 respectively with online system from day one. More recently this has also been deployed in our managed hospital – Indira Gandhi Eye Hospital in Uttar Pradesh.

This department is functioning with a vision: "To become the centre of Excellence in IT applications for Eye Care" Presently it manages more than 200 computers at Madurai alone with following applications

Hospital Management Systems Financial Accounting Materials Management Community Outreach Personnel Management Office automation GIS Tele-medicine

A team at each location takes care of maintenance of the system, training the users and attending user complaints and working on further improvements.

Central team at LAICO coordinates with all the hospitals for enhancing the application and develops new application for both internal use as well as other organizations.

Microsoft Exchange Server, Internet Server and Intranet server are maintained for supporting communication activities at Aravind Eye Care System.

It has also started supporting other charitable eye hospitals for implementing IT systems. It has implemented the Aravind hospital management software in 15 other hospitals which includes in 1 in Tanzania and 5 in Bangladesh.

Major IT Activities in Progress: Implement "EyesTalk" software in other hospitals for oph

thalmologists / physician / eye care providers in any part of the globe to consult with Aravind Eye Hospitals ophthalmologist.

Aravind Virtual University – a facility to conduct classes, discussion and sharing thoughts over Internet

Introduce Electronic Medical Record Wireless PDA applications in patient care and facility maintenance

Aravind Eye Hospitals respect the personal and unique needs and values of each patient. We consider our patients as partners in our medical care. Our respect for and observance of Patients' Rights will ensure mutual cooperation and greater satisfaction for both patients and hospital staff.

We would like you to : 1. To know the name, identity, and professional status of all persons providing services to you and

to know the physician who is primarily responsible for your care.2. To receive complete and current information concerning your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis

in terms that you can understand 3. To have access to all information contained in your medical record through your primary

consultant 4. To an explanation in terms you can understand of any proposed procedure, drug or treatment; the

possible benefits; the serious side effects, risks or drawbacks which are known; potential costs; problems related to recovery; and, the likelihood of success. The explanation should also include discussion of alternative procedures or treatments.

5. To accept or refuse any procedure, drug or treatment, and to be informed of the consequences of any such refusal. If there is conflict between you and your parents/guardian regarding your exercise of this right, you and parent/guardian may need to participate in conflict resolving discussions.

6. To personal privacy. Care discussion, consultation, examination and treatment will be treated as confidential.

7. To expect that all communications and records related to your care will be treated confidentially.

8. To supportive care including appropriate management of pain, treatment of uncomfortable symptoms and support of your psychological and spiritual needs even if you are dying or have a terminal illness.

9. To assistance in obtaining consultation with another physician regarding your care. This consultation may result in additional cost to you or your family.

10. To request consultation with the Hospital Ethics Committee regarding ethical issues involved in your care.

11. To be transferred to another facility at your request or when medically appropriate and legally permissible. You have a right to be given a complete explanation concerning the need for and alternatives to such a transfer. The facility to which you will be transferred must first accept you as a patient.

12. To know if your care involves research or experimental methods of treatment. You have the right to consent or refuse to participate.

13. To voice complaints regarding your care, to have those complaints reviewed, and, when possible, resolved without fear of any harm or penalty to yourself. You have the right to be informed of the response to your complaint.

14. To expect reasonable continuity of care and to be informed by care providers of realistic patient care options when hospital care is no longer appropriate. You have the right to participate in this discharge planning process.

15. To examine your bill and receive an explanation of the charges regardless of the source of payment for your care.

16. To be informed of any hospital policies, procedures, rules or regulations applicable to your care.

NOTE: If you are unable to exercise these rights, your guardian, next of kin or legally authorized surrogate has the right to exercise these rights on your behalf.

As a Patient it is your responsibility: 1. To provide all personal and family health information needed to provide you with appropriate

care. This includes reporting if you are in pain, or require pain relief. 2. To participate to the best of your ability in making decisions about your medical treatment, and

to comply with the agreed upon plan of care 3. To ask questions to your physician or other care providers when you do not understand any

information or instructions 4. To inform your physician or other care provider if you desire a transfer of care to another

physician, care provider, or facility 5. To be considerate of others receiving and providing care 6. To observe facility policies and procedures, including those regarding smoking, noise, and

number of visitors 7. To accept financial responsibility for health care services and settle bills promptly