IVI brings gift of vision to Madurai prison inmates & villages 

India Vision Institute (IVI), an Indian NGO working to eliminate vision impairment, prevent avoidable blindness and provide access to spectacles to those in need, has brought the gift of vision to the inmates of the Madurai Central Prison and Women’s Prison, and communities in Paapan Valasai, Sunnambur and Kilathari villages. 

In three days of vision campaign activities, 10-12 March, IVI vision screened 630 individuals, including 208 women and men inmates at the two prisons. 

At the men’s prison, 167 inmates were vision screened, and of the 138 diagnosed with refractive errors, 76 were provided free spectacles on the spot. The remaining will be provided glasses in the next few days. Among 41 women inmates screened, 24 diagnosed with refractive errors were provided glasses. Twenty-seven male and seven female inmates have been referred to hospital for further eye examination. 

“IVI is delighted it could screen and provide glasses to prison inmates and villagers. We acknowledge the Department of Prisons for the necessary permissions to undertake the screenings and their support in managing the logistics and for the facilitation support of the Krupa Foundation,” said IVI’s CEO, Vinod Daniel. “The screenings are particularly beneficial to older inmates as, with vision issues, they find it difficult to read or write and engage in other productive activities if they don’t have access to a pair of spectacles.”

“Our screening activities are also proving to be useful in rural communities who have difficulty in getting access to vision screening. With the screenings and corrected vision through a pair of glasses, the adult population will be able to raise their work productivity levels, thereby improving their economic capability,” he added.

About India Vision Institute

India Vision Institute is an Indian non-profit NGO providing the underprivileged access to vision screenings and a pair of glasses to those in need of one. Our mission is to Augment Primary Eye Care Capacity of India. Our Eye See & I Learn and Eye See & I Work programs reach constituencies where services are lacking and most required – in children and adults. Over the next three years, IVI will screen a million children across India. IVI’s five-year Strategic Action Plan provides us the basis for our programs. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Visit www.indiavisioninstitute.org for more information.