“People complain that it takes an entire day to complete treatment at Aravind Eye Hospital. What they do not understand is that we save them several follow-up visits. The idea is to minimise the number of consultations as it saves cost and time for the patient,” says R.D. Ravindran, Chairman, Aravind Eye Care System (AEC).
Recounting the initial few years and Aravind’s reach, Dr. Ravindran speaks about the way forward - 100 years after Dr. V and 43 years of the hospital.
The hospital, recognised for setting standards in affordable healthcare, is looking to taking the concept of primary eye care to the rest of the world. Through its eye camps, free surgeries and vision centres, Aravind is looking to cover the grassroots, particularly remote villages where there is limited scope for diagnosis or treatment.
“We try to account for the amount spent by an average agricultural labourer for a visit. If he decides to visit the hospital, he/she and the attendant lose their daily wage and pay for food and bus tickets. This will easily come up to over ₹200. The vision centre in rural areas requires a maximum spending of ₹20. Follow-ups will be easy as well,” he says.
The AEC plans to establish three hospitals - in Tirupati, Kovilpatti and Thanjavur - due to high patient influx from these areas.
Dr. Ravindran adds that an important reason for the continued growth and consistent quality care of Aravind Eye Hospital is the set of values left behind by founder Govindappa Venkataswamy. “Dr. V inculcated a very strong set of cultural beliefs in us. These include making eye care accessible and affordable; keeping quality in check; having a staff-centric atmosphere; frugality; self-reliance and sharing best practises,” he says. He believes that Aravind would not have gained ground without training over 5,000 ophthalmologists and sharing knowledge with other countries.
“We are in talks with Bangladeshi government and hope to set up 40 primary vision centres there. We have gone beyond Tamil Nadu and reached out to States such as Tripura, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh in order to cater to areas affected by Naxalite violence. We also share our latest practices and innovations with African nations. The idea is to eliminate blindness through purity of purpose and thinking,” he says.
