Page 93 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition May-June 2023

1,000,000 EYES TESTED UNDER THE

ALOKA VISION PROGRAM

With the Aloka Vision Program, ZEISS as customers. People deserve respect, quality,
and partners are providing primary eye care to affordability of services and products and, in
patients in underserved regions throughout our case, satisfaction with vision care and their
India. It has now reached a milestone of one eyeglasses. This approach alongside frequent
million patients benefiting from the program customer surveys is essential both for continuous
and is expanding in Asia. It is time to share some improvement as well as to meet the expectations
insights into the program and to thank those of patients, irrespective of their economic status.
who make this progress possible: our partners! Another expression of respect for patients is
As a social business, Aloka has been operational quality of service and products. Any compromise
in India since April 2015, with the team based in quality is followed by lower acceptance and
in Bengaluru. It is supported by the Optometry compliance with spectacle wear or referral for
Council of India, optometry colleges, Lions Club medical treatment. The consequences of poor
volunteers, ophthalmologists, health workers, quality would also affect the efficiency and
and our partners: NGOs committed to promoting effectiveness of the entire program.
clear vision for all. The entire operation is working
as a partnership network for NGOs, hospitals, Partnerships are key. Research shows that
and institutions. Aloka is part of ZEISS’ social a significant portion of a program’s effort is
engagement that includes a commitment to spent on awareness, mobilisation, and logistics
eye care and public health. in underserved areas. Joining forces with
organisations that are strong in these areas and
Affordable eyeglasses are easy to make. They with eye care experts on board multiplies the
are also easy to fit – that is standard practice for any impact dramatically. The simple reason for this is
optical store. The reason for the lack of service is an that everyone brings their best to the table.
incredible shortage of opticians and optometrists
in many regions of our world. Poor vision affects Finally, an important point to note is that
people in rural areas because their options for sustainability matters. Clear, healthy vision must
finding eye care are very limited and expensive, last a lifetime. So should eye care. Each program
considering travel costs, lost income for travel days, should provide frequent and reliable services
and the challenge of finding the right service. in the selected region. One-time activities are
Bringing quality eye care to underserved regions at disappointing to people, and not beneficial to
affordable cost is a solvable challenge. We believe public health. They are usually a waste of resources
it is better, cheaper and more effective to bring the as the public’s acceptance is then low.
service to the people. (Of course, this is different for
medical treatments such as cataract surgery.) Author: Joachim Kuss, Head of
Communications, ZEISS Consumer Segments, Germany.
Think of patients not as beneficiaries, but Co-Author: Premjeeth Moodbidri

FEATURE THE INDIAN OPTICIAN | MAY-JUNE 2023 | 89