Outreach
Community outreach is one of our core wings, where quality eye care is rendered at the doorstep of unreached people free of cost. As a life member of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), a World Health Organisation (WHO) initiative for the prevention of avoidable blindness, and a professional eye care unit, we understand the burden of needless blindness in our country very early on. We have committed ourselves to combat this endemic and deployed it to our target areas, remote, underserved, and impoverished areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Our Approach
We have a robust approach towards service delivery at our community outreach program.
- Dedicated outreach teams consisting of experienced field coordinators specifically trained in morbidity in the entire geographical area plan the outreach program one month prior.
- They visit the campsite and interact with local heads to obtain permission from the concerned. They coordinate with local health guardians and volunteers and conduct IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) activities in the village one week before the camp date.
- On the day of the camp, a camp team consisting of an ophthalmologist, two ophthalmic assistants, one camp coordinator, and a driver arrives at the camp venue.
- The eye screening camp starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends around 2:00 p.m. Around 100 – 150 people will be screened. The identified cataract patients will be transported to the base hospital in a hospital vehicle the same evening, and the pre-operative evaluation will be done the same day.
- The next day, patients undergo surgery upon physical fitness approval from the In-house physician. They are discharged the next day after the post-operative evaluation.
- one- and five-week post-operative evaluation is done at the patient’s doorstep.
- All services rendered through the outreach department including the surgical procedures, medicines, consumables, transportation,food and accommodation and post operative care and spectacles are given completely at no cost to the patient.
Our Impact so far
Over 5,520 camps have been conducted. Over one million people & 520,000 school children have been screened. Around 100,000 surgeries were performed free of charge across our network.
Brief write-up:
Retinopathy Of Prematurity (RO P) is a retinal disorder of low-birth-weight premature infants. It’s a condition where there is improper development of retina in the eyes mainly seen in preterm babies. Retina in such babies is immature/under developed. It can be mild with no visual defects, or it may become aggressive with new vessel formation (neo-vascularisation) and progress to retinal detachment and blindness.
Nearly one third to half of neonates undergoing screening may show some degree of ROP which fortunately regresses on its own in majority of affected infants, in a few it progresses to the stage of retinal detachment and blindness.
Timely screening and treatment of ROP can prevent blindness and minimize visual handicaps.
PVRI - ROP program:
Objectives of the PVRI – ROP Programme:
- Prevent the avoidable blindness due to Retinopathy of Prematurity among prematurely born babies in the State
- To supplement and compliment the ROP screening facilities at the SNCU/NICUs (Special Neonatal Care Units)
- To build the capacity of Government Neonatologists, nurses and eye care personnel in Neocam supported ROP-screening and management of prematurely born babies with ROP present at the notified centers
- To integrate with the health systems and create a collaborative network between government neonatal centers and eye care centers on long term sustainable basis.
The list of centres covered by PVRI are as below:
| PVRI-Hyderabad | |
| Reach in Telangana | Start Date |
| Hyderabad (Gandhi hospital) | Jun’15 |
| Sangareddy | Jun’16 |
| Vikarabad | Oct’21 |
| Janagaon | Jan’22 |
| Ranga Reddy (MMH Petlaburj) | Jan’22 |
| Warangal (MGM + CKM) | Jan’22 |
| PVRI-Kadapa | |
| Reach in the region | Start Date |
| YSR – Kadapa (+Proddutur) | Dec’21 |
| Anantapur (+Bathenapalli) | Oct’23 |
| Sri Satya Sai District(+Hindupur) | Oct’23 |
| Nandyala | Oct’23 |
| Kurnool (+Adoni) | Oct’23 |
| PVRI-Vizianagaram | |
| Reach in the region | Start Date |
| Vizianagaram | Dec’21 |
| Manyam District (+Parvatipuram) | Nov’23 |
| Visakhapatnam | Apr’21 |
| Anakapalle (+Narsipatnam) | Nov’23 |
| ASR District (Paderu + RC Varam) | Nov’23 |
| Srikakulam (+Tekkali) | Nov’23 |
Work Done so far:
PVRI has screened over 17000 babies since 2013 across more than 20 districts across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in both government and private hospitals. The PVRI- ROP Model uses Targeted Upskilling, Quality Improvement & Handholding of the public health personnel to use existing health care machinery to effectively prevent and manage a complex and skill-intensive condition such as ROP.
| Our Social Impact (as on Dec-23) | Number |
| SNCU/DEIC staff nurses imaging for ROP | 400+ |
| Medical officers sensitized | 150+ |
| Optometrists/PMOOs trained | 200+ |
| No of babies screened in TS/AP | 17000+ |
| No of screenings conducted in TS/AP | 22000+ |
| No of screenings annually since 2021-22 | 6000+ |
| No of babies treated for ST-ROP till date in | 300+ |
| No of sets of Parents Sensitized through PSG meetings | 4500+ |
| No of CHWs sensitized through field sessions | 1500+ |
Our Partners:
Our Acknowledgements to all those who have supported us in this endeavor
Private hospital partners:
Low Vision Clinic
A person is termed “low vision” when he/she presents with visual acuity of less than 6/18 in a better eye after the best possible surgical or medical ophthalmic treatment. People with low vision experience difficulty during fine activities like reading. Some eye diseases with ‘no known treatment’ or ‘limited treatment’ can permanently lead to low vision.
In this clinic, a low-vision optometrist and a certified low-vision enhancement specialist work together to provide a clinical examination and visual skills assessment. Patients with low vision are introduced to technology and techniques to enhance their residual sight and facilitate their independence. Therapy may employ special optical and electronic devices, ergonomic equipment, and new visual skills to address daily tasks such as reading, writing, managing medication, cooking, locating, and reading signs. Referrals are made to other specialists or community organizations to address patient needs.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Eye Care Projects
See Clearly, Live Brighter: Bridging the Vision Gap
There is a significant lack of access to affordable and super speciality eye care services to many individuals. Our CSR and community eye care project serves to connect the community. We collaborate with companies and donor agencies to provide cutting-edge cataract, vitreoretinal, glaucoma, cornea, paediatric ophthalmology, and other eye care services to underserved regions. By providing financial assistance, transportation support, and community eye care services, we enable underprivileged and visually impaired individuals to regain their sight and live fulfilling lives.
We take pride in showcasing our significant partnerships with various companies and organisations to support the economically disadvantaged visually impaired community.
- SEVA Global Sight Initiatives are dedicated to improving hospital capabilities to deliver high-quality eye care by implementing organisation development strategies.
- The Aurobindo Pharma Community Eye Care Project set up high-quality eye care facilities in the Kadapa district, which is known as one of the underdeveloped districts in Andhra Pradesh state. Our yearly surgical volume reached 14,000 surgeries over a span of 2 years.
- The NCC Equipment Support project boosts the surgical capacity of the hospital at Pushpagiri Eye Foundation in Secunderabad. This assistance allows the hospital to offer 6000 to 7000 sight restoration surgeries for disadvantaged individuals every year.
- The ICICI project aims to address the power consumption expenses at the PVRI Kadapa unit by implementing an environmentally friendly solar-powered centre. Almost half, around 46 percent, of the PVRI’s electricity costs have been reduced by using solar power. With an annual savings of INR 18 lakhs, it is possible to fund 1000 sight restoration surgeries for underprivileged patients.
- The PNBHFL Eye Mitra initiative strives to enhance access to eye care services for underprivileged individuals in Secunderabad, Telangana State, through the provision of complimentary transportation. Each year, we provide services to 6500 individuals from 1000 underserved villages in Telangana.
- We were able to expand our services by partnering with Rotary Global Wizard and Operational Eye Sight Universal to open two new vision centres.
- By collaborating on the equipment support project, Rotary Club of Secunderabad Sunrise and BHEL-GE Gas Turbine Services Pvt Ltd have increased the annual surgical capacity from 5000 to 8,000 surgeries and provide training for 10 ophthalmologists on advanced eye care equipment each year.
- The Mankind community eye care project aims to eliminate the financial obstacles that prevent vulnerable communities in Telangana from receiving high-quality sight-restoring surgeries.
- Increased access to affordable high-quality eye care is the primary objective of the Practo Foundation’s Eye Care Projects in the Northen Coastal Area, a tribal region in Andhra Pradesh.
- An initiative called “PNBHFL Vision First” has been launched in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to enhance the availability of affordable, high-quality eye care for construction workers and disadvantaged individuals in the largest districts and surrounding areas.
- The mission of the MedPlus Clear Vision initiative is to help low-income communities afford high-quality eye procedures that restore vision.
- The Waisl Equipment Support Project is committed to enhancing the visual outcome of cataract, retina, and other sub-specialty procedures, streamlining the surgical process, and ensuring a high-quality treatment experience for patients. Each year, provide training for eight to ten ophthalmologists on using the latest eye care technology.
- The community eye care project by Bharathi Cement Group provided top-notch eye care services to more than 6000 villagers from 50 nearby villages, with the goal of enhancing their vision and improving their eyesight.
- India Cement Community Eye Care provides quality eye care services to over 500 villagers annually, right at their doorsteps through community eye care activities.
- The Nosch Lab’s equipment project enhanced the examination room’s capacity to efficiently accommodate more patients.
Join us in building a brighter future, one healthy eye at a time.
