“Vision care at all levels: From bench to bedside to the community”‐ A working model by L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Of the 50 million blind people in the world, 60% live in developing countries. The three major causes of blindness here (cataract, infection, uncorrected refractive errors) are needless, since they are treatable or avoidable. In order to do so, we need a program of outreach to the countryside and village communities, involve them as partners in the endeavor, and thus make it successful and sustainable. Methods Over the last twenty years, the L. V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), a non‐profit, non‐governmental eye care centre at Hyderabad, India, has set up a multi‐tier pyramid model to address this problem of winning over needless blindness. This pyramid connects a centre of excellence at Hyderabad on the top with tertiary eye care centres in two other cities, secondary care centres in 15 towns‐ each of which is served by 10 vision centres in villages, thus taking care of about 20 million people. Prescription of eyeglasses, drugs against infection, and cataract surgical care are delivered on a large scale through this pyramid approach. This model of translation from bench to bedside to the community appears to be replicable in other places and for other aspects of healthcare. Results In basic and clinical research, LVPEI is involved in the molecular and functional genetics of some inherited forms of blindness, use of stem cells to reconstruct the damaged ocular outer surface, and biochemical aspects of cataract. Conclusion This model of translation from bench to bedside to the community appears to be replicable in other places and for other aspects of healthcare. It also appears suitable for the goals of Vision 2020: The Right to Sight.