VISION CENTERS FOR PRIMARY EYE CARE DELIVERY IN INDIA

Dr. Asim Sil, Chief Medical Officer, Netra Niramay NiketanMr. Anand Sudhan K., Head -Community Ophthalmology, Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya Dr. T. P. Das, Director, LV Prasad Eye Institute – Bhubaneshwar Dr. B.K. Jain, Director, Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya Dr. G. V. Rao, CEO, VISION 2020: The Right To Sight – INDIA Col. (retd) Dr. Deshpande, President, VISION 2020: The Right To Sight – INDIA Ms. Vrinda Arora, Program Manager, VISION 2020: The Right To Sight – INDIA

VISION 2020: The Right to Sight – INDIA

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Central & State

Government NPCB / NRHM Dept. of Health

& Family Welfare, Govt.

of Tripura

Program Implementer &

ManagerIL&FS

Knowledge/ Training/

Clinical Partner Aravind Eye

Care System Netra Niramay

Niketan

Tripura Tele-Ophthalmology Project (Vision Center) - Overview

AIM -To use advances in technology to the advantage and provide primary & preventive eye care services to the

rural citizens of Tripura

REACH - 40 VCs serve a population of 31,20,377 covering 40 blocks in 4

districts of Tripura

KEY PLAYERS - Ophthalmology Department, Department of Health &

Family Welfare, Government of Tripura, IL&FS and Aravind Eye Care

System

The Need for Vision Centers

Need for VCs

Lack of modern

ophthalmic infrastructure

and ophthalmolo

gists

Human Resources – In 2014, the

number of ophthalmologists remaining would

be 7-8 (currently there are 17 ophthalmologists of which 10 are expected

to retire in 2013)

Geographically difficult

terrain hence transportation costs are huge

Innovation Applied

Set up in the premises of Community Information Centers (CICs) thus leveraging the existing infrastructure

VCs are connected to Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) Hospital in the state capital of Agartala Vision Centre Management System stores the preliminary findings and vital stats of the patients

Tripura Vision Centre

Pictures transmitted

Key Statistics Of the total number of patients screened,

between April 2007 and July 2012, 44% were women

Total Male Female0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

160000

180000

200000 182573

10252080053

56% 44%

Key Statistics 67% of the patients referred to base hospital

in Agartala received treatment and were cured

Num

ber o

f ref

erre

d pa

tient

s tre

ated

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 120007518

11139

(67%)

Key Statistics

Total number of re-fraction performed

Total number of glasses prescribed

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

160000

137409

58888(43%)

43% of the patients screened were prescribed glasses

Key Statistics 66% of the cataract patients identified have

undergone surgery

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

75985017

(66%)

Conclusion

Improved standard medical practices• Increase in the utilization rates of current

ophthalmologists• Attained required transparency and accountability in

clinical examination at both at vision centers and the secondary levelEffective in establishing linkages with the

community and a sense of ownership• Provided eye care to women thus leading to gender

equity

A sustainable model needs to be developed by leveraging the spectacle market.

THANK YOU