When deciding to participate in the Banyan Impact Fellowship, my greatest motivation was to develop a better understanding of the development sector. I was excited by my placement at Forus Health because of their work in making eye care technology more affordable for health centers in India. However, I was not able to directly see the impact of their work on public health. My project focuses on developing strategic initiatives to increase the organization’s eye screening services. Since most of the company’s screening services are offered at corporate health camps, it was difficult for me to understand how we could expand services to lower-income populations who need affordable access to eye care.
Through the professional development grant provided by AIF, I had the opportunity to fill this gap in my knowledge. I reached out to Sightsavers, an NGO working to protect sight and promote disability inclusion, who have an existing partnership with Forus Health. I wanted the opportunity to see Forus’s technology in action and understand how to address eye care in underserved communities.
About Sightsavers
Similar to Forus Health, Sightsavers is dedicated to preventing avoidable blindness and preserving vision. During my visit, I learned about how they operate and implement sustainable public health projects. In Pune, they work with The Poona Blind Men’s Association’s H.V. Desai Eye Hospital. Sightsavers provides funding to the H.V. Desai Eye Hospital while the hospital is responsible for the implementation of the eye screening programs. This funding is provided for a finite amount of time until H.V. Desai Eye Hospital can sustain the program on its own. They do this through a revenue-generating model. For example, many of the camps sell spectacles for low prices to generate enough money to continue funding the eye screening program. I was inspired by their model to promote sustainability which is essential in the development sector.
Professional Development Visit
As soon as I met with managers from the organization, I was excited by my decision to learn from them. They were supportive, listened to my goals, and planned an itinerary accordingly. They thought it would be best for me to observe their programs in Pune which included a mobile eye care center, a government eye program, and a private eye care center. During the first day of my visit, I met Kajal, a Sightsavers employee who is responsible for overseeing the organization’s programs in Maharashtra and Gujarat. She became my translator, travel coordinator, and friend throughout the trip.
Mobile Van
The first part of my visit involved observing a mobile eye care van. The van was set up in a slum area of Pune to reach communities that are at the greatest risk for eye disease. I got there 15 minutes after the start time and was pleasantly surprised to see that there was already a line of 15 people waiting to get their vision checked. The van contained a computer screen to test vision, refraction lenses to provide a prescription, and a fundus camera to use for some patients. Kajal explained to me that the screening is completely free. However, H.V. Desai Eye Hospital charges a low cost for people to buy spectacles. The idea is that the spectacles will generate enough revenue to fund the mobile van.
Due to the high volume of people visiting per day, they do not provide comprehensive eye screenings to everyone. If someone indicates a history of high blood pressure or diabetes, however, they provide fundus imaging which is sent to an ophthalmologist to assess for eye diseases. I was impressed by the efficiency of the process. I was curious as to how they were able to spread the word. Kajal explained that H.V. Desai Eye Hospital is well-known in the community. When people see their name on the van, they know the quality of care they’ll receive. She said that most people will stumble upon the van, hear about it from word of mouth, or get a notification about the van’s location if they were previous patients.
Government Health Center
The next project we visited was an eye care facility located within a government-run primary health center. Unlike the van, only refraction testing is offered at this center. If the optometrist feels that a patient needs further examination, they refer them to the eye hospital. I was impressed to hear that a hospital van comes to the health center to transport patients there if they need extra care. I had the opportunity to get an eye exam that any other patient would get to understand the process. Fortunately, my vision has not changed in the last year!
Further, the spectacles provided at the government health center are completely free to patients. Sightsavers hope that they can show the need for this service to the government who will then take over the project. Also unlike the van, the government health center sees 2-5 patients per day. I was especially excited by this project because I could see the potential for a partnership with Forus Health.
Private Eye Care Center
Visiting the private eye care center was exciting because it was the inauguration. This occasion was the first time I was able to witness a business inauguration. They provided samosas and chai, performed a pooja, and cut the ribbon in front of the store. Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people including founders of different NGOs and a Pune medical officer.
Unlike the van and government health center, the private center
charged for eye screenings. However, the cost is lower than it would be at a regular hospital. The location is also across from a government hospital, making it convenient for patients to receive eye care after primary health treatment, if necessary. Similarly, the spectacles were all for sale to create a revenue-generating model and ensure the sustainability of the center.
Eye Hospital
The eye hospital was impressive. I toured various wings ranging from ones dedicated to cataract surgery to children’s diseases to retinopathy of prematurity to research. Additionally, I had the opportunity to see the newest wings built which is dedicated to cataract recovery. It included 77 beds for women’s recovery and 58 for men’s. Furthermore, I observed the Forus Health fundus cameras in use which was cool.
Future with Forus Health
Since Forus Health’s business focuses on selling eye care technology, they are not interested in developing eye care centers. As a result, running a mobile van or a private eye care center would not be a viable option. However, Forus Health has the resources to fund comprehensive eye exams, making them ideal partners for government projects. In the future, Forus Health can help Sightsavers to conduct eye exams at government primary care centers where eye care is inaccessible. I hope to see this type of partnership soon.
