Prior to launching the VEC, George conducted workshops throughout India to explore and analyze the problems visually impaired people face. These workshops were designed to encourage participants to share their experiences, beliefs, and expectations. George realized that, in general, the blind lead… Read more
Prior to launching the VEC, George conducted workshops throughout India to explore and analyze the problems visually impaired people face. These workshops were designed to encourage participants to share their experiences, beliefs, and expectations. George realized that, in general, the blind lead very protected lives and are conditioned to believe they require help to get along. Far from enjoying this dependence, participants felt they hadn't been empowered to live independently. George's next step was to gain the support of Shroff Eye Hospital to run the VEC on its premises. While benefiting from the hospital's steady client base, high-quality medical expertise, and equipment, George believes the VEC will help Shroff Eye Hospital establish itself as a center of excellence in eye care. During the start-up phase, George invested a significant amount of time in developing a structure that would enable the VEC to function as an integral unit of the hospital. He also created several tools and systems that would ensure efficiency. For example, George created a reporting system to keep the hospital's doctors abreast with their patient's progress at the Center. Another of George's innovations is a multi-tiered pricing structure through which revenues from more affluent patients are used to subsidize poorer patients. The VEC offers a wide variety of services, such as counseling designed to help the VEC workers understand patients' individual situations and create special programs to meet their needs and requirements. The Center provides equipment to help the blind function in mainstream seeing society and vocational training based on an initial assessment of the capabilities and wishes of the patient. In some cases, the staff refers patients to other organizations that can better meet their needs, as the VEC does not devote resources to offering similar alternatives to services that already exist. In addition to these inpatient services, George has also created community outreach programs to provide comprehensive eye care to the mainstream community. His school screenings identify children's vision impairments during their early stages and make schools more accepting so that they will support the mainstreaming of visually impaired students. George is also piloting a Community Based Rehabilitation program that will offer similar services on a larger community level. In the next five years, George expects the Center to provide a residential course on comprehensive eye care and vision management. He also plans to lobby for inclusive education for visually impaired children. His work has attracted considerable attention from the media, and the American Association of Opthalmology has expressed interest in applying his model to its work. He plans to share his experiences through conferences and by publishing research papers in leading national and international publications. While offering high-quality services directly, the VEC will work with other centers to make similar care available for all visually impaired people in India. Its first targets for expansion are Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Calcutta.
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