The story behind the origin of the Aravind Eye Care System can be found on aravind.org, which outlines how Dr. G. Venkataswamy, or “Dr. V,” founded Aravind Eye Hospital (AES) in India in 1976. The goal of the non-profit facility centered around giving the best care to patients in the spirit of Indian philosopher and saint Sri Aurobindo. Great success followed Dr. V after the opening of that first hospital in Madurai, as evidenced by establishment of a second hospital in 1985 and a third in 1988, and another four in various cities in India by 2012. Although the respected doctor died in 2006, his legacy remains firmly intact with the continued growth of his eye health care system, as regularly reported on aravind.org.
The hospitals, according to aravind.org, focus on handling critical eye health needs of patients, especially those requiring surgery or emergency attention. Patients only in need of basic ophthalmic care, have the opportunity to visit one of several community clinics located in driving distance of the main hospitals and staffed by an ophthalmologist, five paramedics who also have training as ophthalmic assistants, and a paramedic-trained receptionist. For residents of rural and outlying areas who cannot get to a hospital or community clinic without great difficulty, AES has dozens of vision centers in India set up to allow patients to come in and have a video conference or consultation with an eye doctor. Using this technology, these physicians can handle a workload of hundreds of patients per day.
Aravind In The Web
