Vision Centers

What is vision Centre:

A vision centre is a permanent eye care facility in the community which acts as the first point of interface of the population with comprehensive eye care services provided by an exclusive skilled eye care worker. The emphasis should be on preventive and promotive strategies, case finding and referral rather than solely depending on hospital based curative services.

Need of vision centre :

1. 80 % of blinds Indians reside in rural areas or in urban slums & they do not have access to affordable basic eye care services in vicinity at frequent & regular interval.
2. 80% of eye problems can be either diagnosed and treated, or diagnosed and referred by adequately trained personnel at primary level. Only 10 to 20% of the patients may require cataract surgery or any other specialty services in a secondary or tertiary care centre
3. 80% of blindness and severe visual impairment is avoidable (preventable or curable)
4. 80% of the existing strategies focus primarily on cataract as a cause of blindness and are lacking in a comprehensive approach in the rural community
5. 80% of the people who need eye care do not get benefited by the existing outreach approaches as they are not serving the community on a permanent basis.
6. 25% of the people have some eye problem at any point in time. But they do not approach in time and hardly ever approach frequently even if the problem is not fully resolved as they do not affordable & reliable facility in vicinity open at least on once in week.
7. Incurably blind need rehabilitation services & vision centre can help them.
8. Vision centres can serve the community in a cost effective manner. They have many  advantages to all the stake holders.
   1. Public: Poverty and absence of an attendant accompanying the needy patients are some of the major barriers for poor uptake of eye care services. Vision centre can address the both by providing the service at convenient times at an easily accessible location so that people can access without having to lose a day's wage and patients need not be dependant on attendants.
   2. Government: Has to pay a little both capital & recurring, & can get much higher return than from existing system.
   3. Non Government Organisation managed Secondary Hospital: Increase referred work load will improve its viability by utilising their employees including doctor optimally.  It also acts as follow up centre for operated cases. This not only reduces the cost of follow up examination but also greatly enhance the quality of eye care outcomes and customer satisfaction.
   4. National Program for Control of Blindness & Vision 2020 Campaign: Itimproves eye care seeking behaviour of community. It also increases public awareness about eye diseases. It acts a surveillance & control hub at the time of out break of any epidemic about eye problem.
   5. Local Youth: Can become a qualified PMOAs & get employment.

(9) Thus vision centre would serve to be most essential link between primary eye care and secondary / tertiary level by establishing links and referrals. It will be an asset to identify eye diseases like cataract, supply glasses to needy and help in creating awareness regarding diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, etc

(10) It increases community participation in eye care activities.

Rotary Foundation

Sabarkantha Community Rotary Eye Care Center

1. Vasantbhai Bhogilal Soni Vision Center - Vadali
2. Narsinhbhai Kesarbhai Desai Vision Center - Khedbrahma
3. Laxmiben Gangarambhai Patel Vision Center - Vijaynagar
4. Shri Bholeshwar Arshram Vision Center - Vasai
5. Atmavallabh Hospital Vision Center - Idar