BHUBANESWAR: India can be a role model in healthcare system as the basic value system of the country is complementary to health service, said ophthalmologist and Director (Projects) of Aravind Eye Care System, Dr Aravind Srinivasan.
Speaking on 'Healthcare with Humanity - Lessons Learnt from World's Largest Eye Hospital' at the Odisha Knowledge Hub lecture series here, Srinivasan said around 80 per cent of the blindness is treatable and curable.
He emphatically pointed out that building collaboration, setting the benchmark both in terms of quality and quantity, relentless pursuit to execution and building a service-oriented value system are the key to success in the healthcare.
"There was a time 50 years ago in the country when poverty led to illness. Today, the matrix has changed and now illness leads to poverty. Some days of illness requiring costly treatment takes away the savings of some years or even the entire life," he said.
Replying to media queries, Srinivasan said all service providers both from Government and private sectors should work together to deliver the best in any worst situation.
"The Odisha Government has shown a clear-cut intention of starting the collaborative efforts in the right direction and I am sure that in 10 years from now Odisha will be a model that people would write and talk," he said.
Responding to another query, Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan said Aravind Eye Hospital is one of the largest eye care hospital in the world. The hospital has made a successful model by combining the volume with values in the eye care.
Providing value-based care and treatment to a large number of patients is need of the time. The State Government has been working together with NGOs, civil society organisations and leading service providers like Lions club and Rotary club to fight out blindness from the State.
Balakrishnan further said the lessons from Aravind Eye Hospital will be more helpful in carrying forward these efforts and making them more effective.
Aravind Eye Care System is a hospital chain in the country founded by Dr Govindappa Venkataswamy at Madurai in Tamil Nadu in 1976. The group has treated nearly 32 million patients and performed four million surgeries, the majority of them are either free or heavily subsidised making it the world's largest and most productive eye care service group.