In India, when it comes to eye care, the numbers are dismal. Over 53% of Indians suffer from poor vision and need prescription eyeglasses. And for every 1.15 lakh Indians, there is only one optometrist. Refractive error-based blindness has a wide range of effects, including difficulties in pursuing education ergo decreased economic production. The Lenskart Foundation, established in 2020, has a clear and simple goal to provide access to eye care facilities and free India of refractive-error-based blindness.80% of blindness and visual impairment is avoidable. Further, visual impairment has a significant impact on children’s education and development. Hence it’s imperative to give priority and focus on children so that their future can be secured.
The Foundation is anchored by the vision and drive of its chairman, Nidhi Mittal Bansal.
To further its purpose, the Foundation recently opened its 4th Lenskart Foundation Child Eye Care Centre in Sanjay Colony, South Delhi. Located ahead of the Bhatti Mines area, in one of Delhi’s largest and oldest slums, this center will be able to help close to 5,500 children and offer eye check-ups to a population of approximately 23,000 underprivileged individuals. The centre would provide prompt assistance and monitor any further eyesight deterioration.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson Nidhi Mittal Bansal said, “We trust this is a great opportunity for us to make a difference in this colony because there is currently no accessible eye-care facility within a nearly 30-km radius. This is the 4th small step toward us making eye tests and corrective eyeglasses accessible to every Indian. With a special and priority focus on children, we want to curb the school dropout rate which at present is 25%. The facility is also equipped to examine adults along with their kids.”
“We plan to open 100 to 150 Child Eye Care Centres in the next two years, giving everyone within 4-kilometer radius access to eye care and corrective glasses, if needed.” She added.
To achieve its objectives, the Foundation is aggressively working towards a three-pronged approach—awareness, accessibility, and advocacy. In many parts of the country, both awareness of vision correction and access to eye care centers is currently low. The Foundation intends to work toward both goals through its centres, while also advocating for the inclusion of vision correction in government initiatives. The ultimate goal of all of these measures is to lift the veil of darkness and look forward to a brighter future.