Aravind Eye Hospital, founded in 1976 by ophthalmic surgeon Dr. G. Venkataswamy, began as an 11-bed eye care clinic located in the old temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established to provide comprehensive eye care services and eliminate preventable and curable blindness, Aravind has grown into a self-sustaining system that now includes five hospitals, an international research foundation, a resource and training center, and an ophthalmic product manufacturing facility. Aravind’s network treats over 1.7 million patients each year, two-thirds of whom receive free care.
Since its inception, one of Aravind’s priorities has been cataract surgeries. However, the high cost of consumables – particularly intraocular lenses (IOLs) that are implanted into the eye after a cataract is removed – proved a significant barrier. In the 1970s and 1980s, IOLs were primarily manufactured in the U.S. and sold for $300 or more per lens.
The most viable solution to cutting this cost was to produce the lenses in-country. In 1992, Direct Relief provided the necessary production equipment to Aravind. Once the equipment was received, Aurolab, Aravind’s new manufacturing arm, was able to cut the cost of IOLs to under $5, which enabled them to fulfi ll their own demand as well as that of other charitable eye care facilities in India and around the world. Over the past 15 years, Aurolab has supplied more than five million lenses to facilities in 120 countries.
With a generous grant from The Allergan Foundation, Direct Relief is now purchasing IOLs from Aurolab for partner ophthalmic facilities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. As a result of the project, thousands of people will recover their sight and have the opportunity to regain their traditional roles in family and society. Direct Relief’s assistance 15 years ago has now come full circle to help even more people.