10 crore suffer from eye ailments: Vinod Daniel

Bengaluru: Falling on the second Thursday of every October, World Sight Day aims to raise awareness about avoidable blindness and vision impairment. Vinod Daniel, Chairman, AusHeritage, who is also the CEO  of India Vision Institute, a charitable trust that works to raise awareness about ‘uncorrected refractive error’, which is a major cause of ‘preventable’ blindness, and the importance of eye-health care, spoke to Deccan Chronicle a day before conducting the ‘Walk in the Dark’, a public awareness initiative conceptualised by IVI to raise awareness about uncorrected refractive error, the need for more optometrists in the country and timely eye check-ups for children and elderly people.

Could you tell us a little about the India Vision Institute?
IVI is a non-profit registered trust with a vision to promote excellence in vision care delivery in India. It is a joint initiative of the LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad and Brian Holden Vision Institute, Sydney. Also, we try working on strategic projects aimed at raising public awareness and building professional recognition, ramping up human resource development, ensuring minimum standards of diagnostic and clinical infrastructure. We also work towards a long term sustainable formula in which we provide a framework to improve vision care in India by providing excellent and equitable solutions, assisting in eliminating visual impairment and avoiding blindness

How prevalent are cases of blindness in India?
Over 10 crore Indians suffer from uncorrected refractive error, which can cause ‘preventable’ blindness as they need access to glasses, but don't have it. A corrective pair of spectacles mitigates these problems and also increases the productivity of those affected by 34 % and their wages by 20%. Out of those affected nationwide, over 1 crore Indian children (1 in 20) suffer from vision impairment due to uncorrected refractive error. Most of them are underprivileged and cannot afford a pair of spectacles.

Does the country have enough number of optometrists?
India needs 125,000 optometrists and sadly there are only 45,000, which is just a third of the requirement. Hence students should be made aware of optometrics as a field of study and encouraged to take up the course just like in any other specialty.

Tell us about the ‘Walk in the Dark' project?
The walk involves walking ‘blindfolded’ in a public space, led by visually impaired children. It provides a firsthand experience of what blindness is like. The walk also highlights the role of the government and civil society in assisting those with impaired vision. It educates people about the challenges faced by the blind and visually impaired, and the commendable way in which they work around their disability.