Standard Chartered Bank to open 200 vision centres

This will build capability and capacity while providing livelihood opportunities, it added. Standard Chartered Bank India said so far it has opened 135 vision centres across 22 states and they have conducted 2.36 million cataract surgeries and dispensed 1,97,000 spectacles, overall benefitting nearly 14 million people since the inception of the programme in 2003..

Standard Chartered Bank India on the occasion of World Sight Day announced the opening of 200 vision centers over the next two years. These centers, which will offer eye care services, will be set up with leading partners operating in this segment, across eight states under the 'Seeing is Believing by Standard Chartered' initiative, it said in a release on Thursday. In the first batch, 90 vision centers including 14 futuristic vision centers, will be launched by December-end in partnership with L V Prasad, CBM India, Sightsavers India, Dr. Shroff's Charitable Eye Hospital, Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital, Mission for Vision, C.L. Gupta and Alakh Nayan Mandir in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

"Since FY2018-19, the bank has made substantial investment across 13 projects and 10 partners in the Seeing is Believing by Standard Chartered program. This investment is expected to reach 6.8 million people, conduct 200,000 cataract operations, distribute 672,000 spectacles, carry out over 16,000 sub-specialty surgeries and declare over 3,000 villages blindness free through these over 200 new vision centers," said Zarin Daruwala, CEO, India, Standard Chartered Bank. Besides, the Standard Chartered career academies set up with L V Prasad Eye Institute and Dr. Shroff's Charitable Eye Hospital, will train over 50,000 youth from the underprivileged areas for various roles in the eye health sector – including vision technicians and ophthalmic nurse assistants. This will build capability and capacity while providing livelihood opportunities, it added.

Standard Chartered Bank India said so far it has opened 135 vision centers across 22 states and they have conducted 2.36 million cataract surgeries and dispensed 1,97,000 spectacles, overall benefitting nearly 14 million people since the inception of the program in 2003.