ORBIS: 2005-2007

Lotus College Of Optometry Partner's with ORBIS INTERNATIONAL, USA

The two main causes of blindness are cataract and childhood blindness followed by glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. For the past 28 years the National Prevention of Blindness program and other NGOs have laid emphasis on cataracts and results are that the blindness due to cataract has come down for 80% to 60%, but the childhood blindness has gone up from 7% to 20%.

Though cataract still remains as the leading cause for blindness, the magnitude of childhood blindness is a lot more. By treating a senile patient for cataract, we add maybe 10-15 years of sighted years for him, whereas when we treat a child for preventable blindness we add atleast 60 years of sight life for him. The economic burden to the country due to loss of skilled labour and productivity due to childhood blindness is estimated to be about US $ 6,000- 27,0002.

Orbis International is a nongovernmental organization in New York that specifically networks with eye hospitals world over in their mission to eradicate childhood blindness. The Lotus Eye Hospital and Lotus College of Optometry formed a partnership with them to provide quality care at no cost to the slum children of Mumbai

In Collaboration with Orbis the Lotus Eye Hospital has set up a state of art pediatric unit which has more than 100 patient OPD