The Aravind Eye Hospital

In service for sight By Shradha Devidan(11PGDM111)

Social Marketing

Aravind Eye hospital Facts

12 million blind people in India. 75-80% due to cataract (About 9 million people) 1.2 million cataract operations only done over a year. Medial infrastructure to clear this backlog is inadequate. Aravind Eye Hospital is committed to the goal of elimination of blindness Established by Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy in 1976 in Madurai Started with 20 beds, only three surgeons & all types of surgeries 30-bed annex added in 1977 70-bed free hospital opened in 1978 Branches in Madurai, Theni and Tirunelveli by 1991

Services @ free and Paying Hospital

Main Hospital Free Hospital Key Outcomes Servicing high volume of Servicing high volume of surgeries daily surgeries daily

Specialised surgeons Trained and motivated administrations and support staff

Complicated surguries from free hospital handled as well State of art high end equipment

Specialised surgeons Trained and motivated administrations and support staff

Basic & routine surguries

Basic & essential equipment

Main Hospital
Capacity Improvements

Free Hospital

Total 1471929 candidates screened Total 2184043 candidates screened with 115290 surguries performed in with 220409 surguries performed in 16 years 16 years Compounded Average growth in the Compounded Average growth in the number of screening visits is 21.74% number of screening visits is 42.22% & in number of surgeries is 33.77% & in number of surgeries is 30.10% Average surgery Time 15 minutes Average surgery Time 15 minutes

Fresh patients penetration = 47.46% Fresh patients penetration (1992) = 64.23% (1992) Delivery of Key processes Both ICCE & ECCE surgeries conducted Patients screened on basis of treatment required Managing resources Primarily ICCE surgeries conducted Patients screened on basis of treatment required

Three types of accomodation Class Primary accomadation A,B,C Total Bed capacity is 564 Total Bed capacity is 1224 Bed occupancy (6 months -1992) is 57.80% Bed occupancy (6 months -1992) is 73.77%

Role of clinic and support staff

Registration Vision Recording Preliminary examination

Final examination by a senior medical officer

Refraction

Testing of tension and tear duct function

Camps: Optical shops ( as required) / sent to base hospital Hospitals: Specialty cases/Optometry room/In-patient admission for cataract surgery

Contd
Ophthalmic staff work as follows: Record vision of patients Note doctors preliminary diagnosis of the patient Test patient for ocular tension, tear duct function and refraction tests Assist doctor in surgery Ophthalmologist s pay: Rs 80,000

Contd
Nurses - Recruited and trained from scratch, not from the typical nursing school The staff is a dedicated team enjoying a symbiotic relation with the hospital Commitment and dedication to the mission of Aravind eye hospital drives them Every saturday and sunday, teams of doctors and support staff with diagnostic equipment reached out to rural population through eye camps

Dr Vs Role
Founded this private, non-profit eye hospital to provide quality eye care at reasonable cost. Mortgaged his house to raise the capital required to start Highly motivated to serve the society in a big way - Reached out to poor villagers Dedication and devotion to the practice Encouraged doctors to attend conferences, publish papers and advance their professional standing in the field Resolution to provide 100% IOL surgeries to all paying and free patients Goal is to spread Aravind model across India, Asia and Africa

 Performance In Eye Camps

Madurai area

Weakness in Aravinds model

Tirunelveli area Theni area

331 camps organized

293 camps organized

83 camps organized

Around 45 people turn up in hospital

Around 16 people turn up in hospital

Around 11 people turn up in hospital

Around 40 surgeries a day in Free hospital

Around 13 surgeries a day in Free hospital

Around 3 surgeries a day in Free hospital

Problems:
Occupancy rate of hospital is uneven Mon, Tues, Wendesday overflowing with patients; Thurs and Friday slack Inspite of improvements in facilities and capacity, the Tirunelveli hospital was not financially self-sufficient; unable to repay the cost of capital Employees pay not on par as in the sector Eye camps: How to organize, create propaganda and plan logistics

Bed Occupancy data Issues

Main (Paying ) Hospitals Bed capacity Tirunelveli hospital 200 Theni hospital 40

Beds occupied per day on average

Occupancy

51
25.5%

10
25%

Madurai had high occupancy rate of 82% Maybe the paying class perceived these 2 satellite hospitals to be of lower quality. Free Hospitals Bed capacity Beds occupied per day on average Occupancy Tirunelveli hospital 200 154 77% Theni hospital 60 28 46.6%

Demand exists but not able to reach out to target community due to lack of effective channels

 Despite recommendation for surgery, people didnt turn up in hospital Reasons: Affordability, fear, noone to accompany, cost of lens, family opposition Solution: 1. Sponsors to bear costs 2. Transported in groups 3. Developing support groups 4. Providing assurance 5. Construction of a new facility to reduce costs of lens further

Problems faced (Contd)

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