ARAVIND EYE CAREGROUP 5

ANIRUDDH (90) | APOORVA (95) | NIKHIL S (124) | PAARMI (127) | SAARINI (139) | SURABHI (152)

BARRIERS

Cultural and perceptual barriers faced by Aravind Eye care in spreading their Service

• Stereotypes

• Lack of Education

• Transportation barrier/distance

• Old Age

• Acceptance of eye care services

• Fear of new place

• Casual attitude/ignorance

•God’s will / Superstition

• Fear of surgery

• No one to accompany

• Family opposition and responsibilities

• Monetary and Time cost

• Gender issues

• Lack of awareness

REMEDIAL EFFORTS

Efforts taken by the Aravind eye care team to overcome the cultural and perceptual barriers

•Innovative service and delivery operations

•House to house visits to motivate by successfully operated patients and basic eye health worker

•Screening camps at central locations

•Vision centres to spread awareness and educate

•Distribution of flyers, pamphlets, handbills, posters etc.

•Promotional campaigns using loudspeakers, audio/video

•Referrals through community leaders (doctors, teachers, panchayat, NGO’s etc)

REMEDIAL EFFORTS

Efforts taken by the Aravind eye care team to overcome the cultural and perceptual barriers

•Economic incentives

•Mobile units to solve distance barrier & save time Community centre clinics

•Hiring young women paramedics [17 – 19 yr olds]

•Sponsors & Partners – Rotary, Lions Club, Religious Organisations, etc.

•Outpatient Coordinator to help patients negotiate admission procedure

SOLUTIONS

The solutions are based on the

A K L C P A C model where we have created a holistic approach to tackle the outreach problems faced by Aravind Eye Care Chain of hospitals.

•Advocate policy change at the state and national level

•Change the focus from long eye term care and crisis care to “health care” through government, physician, and health care worker buy-in.

•Community radio programs to spread awareness

•Children as influencers: Sensitize children at a young age to promote healthy eye care

•Low budget movies and street plays

•Engage elected municipal leaders to foster support for eye care

SOLUTIONS

The solutions are based on the

A K L C P A C model where we have created a holistic approach to tackle the outreach problems faced by Aravind Eye Care Chain of hospitals.

•Educate individuals about their responsibility for their own health, promoting changes in behaviour. Start with children.

•Develop a rural social marketing campaign

•Link rural hospitals and health care settings to larger sites. Make them robust.

•Review past efforts – avoid pitfalls and build on best practices learned from the past

•Developing ‘rural-specific’ training for health professionalsUtilize research findings to build support for rural health policy and resource allocation

•Develop age-friendly rural and remote communities by addressing the determinants of active age related eye disorders. From early life to adult life to older age, policies have to start at birth

•Implement the Collaborative Care Model : Community support for each other