VASM Initiative: How Amita Eye Care Restored Sight to Thousands of Underprivileged Patients
Kerala, [India], September 12th, 2025: Sixty-year-old Kamala from a remote village near Thiruvalla had been living in darkness for three years. Cataracts had stolen her vision, but poverty kept treatment out of reach. Today, she can see her grandchildren’s faces again, thanks to a low-cost surgery performed under Amita Eye Care’s VASM charitable wing (a unit of Eye Microsurgery and Laser Centre).
VASM, from its inception and even before it was registered as a charitable trust, was catering to patients from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who could not afford private treatment. The initiative’s reach extends far beyond the hospital walls. Every month, VASM organizes screening camps around the Central Travancore area, bringing eye care directly to people who may not be able to reach an ophthalmic facility. These camps don’t just identify problems – they provide immediate solutions, including spectacles and medicines, and treatment for basic conditions, at a low cost or sometimes even free of cost.
The hospital has taken its mission to unexpected places. Police stations receive regular eye screening visits, recognizing that officers need sharp vision for public safety. Auto drivers, whose livelihoods depend on clear sight, get priority attention. Legal professionals and merchant associations also benefit from targeted screening programs. Amita Eye Care organizes awareness programs during World Glaucoma Week, World Diabetes Day, and World Sight Day, among other campaigns.
The program’s most heartwarming work involves children. VASM conducts free eye screenings in schools across the region, catching vision problems early when they can still be corrected effectively. Many students receive their first pair of glasses through these visits, suddenly able to see the blackboard clearly for the first time.
VASM also operates a well-equipped outpatient department (OPD) staffed by trained professionals and fitted with modern diagnostic and surgical equipment, catering daily to patients with services including medical treatment, vision correction, diagnostic evaluations, surgical workups, and a range of ophthalmic surgeries.
“We see immediate changes,” explains one of the program coordinators. “Children who were labeled slow learners suddenly start participating in class once they can see what’s written.”
VASM’s work aligns with Vision 2020 and the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB), the global initiative to eliminate preventable blindness worldwide.
The work focuses on cataracts, refractive errors, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and other common conditions. Behind each surgery lies a person who can now navigate their world independently, work to support their family, or simply enjoy watching their children play. For many, VASM doesn’t just restore sight – it restores independence and hope for those from a lower socio-economic group of society.
For more information, visit: www.amitaeyecare.com
