AP Govt's Mukhyamantri e-Eye Kendram To Provide Eye Care Services To Over 2.5 Million People

A 47-year-old woman from a remote village visited the Pamarru MeEK (Mukyamantri e-Eye Kendram) centre complaining of vision difficulties. However, luckily the patient learned about the MeEK project through word of mouth and visited the centre, which was the closest primary care facility from her village. The PMOA (Paramedic Ophthalmic Assistant) at the centre recorded her details on the through the custom designed EMR software and performed the required refraction test using the latest technology-enabled eye testing devices, which showed a refractive error of +1.00 cylinder with 180 degrees axis and +1.75 NV in the right eye, and +0.50 cylinder with 180 degrees axis and +1.75 NV in the left eye, with a spherical correction of 0.00 in both eyes. The PMOA then ordered spectacles through the online system (state-of-the-art telehealth platform by Apollo TeleHealth) and advised her to revisit the centre to take her custom made spectacles once she receives an notification on her mobile phone in less than 7 days. The PMOA also captured fundus images of the patient and uploaded them in real-time through EMR software. A retina specialist reviewed and graded the images remotely and identified glaucomatous disc changes in both the eyes. She was referred to District Hospital - Vijaywada for further treatment, where she received care for glaucoma. She returned to the MeEK centre to collect her spectacles and expressed gratitude to the MeEK staff and the government for providing eye care services that helped identify her vision problem and led to timely treatment for glaucoma.

This is an example of how the Mukhyamantri e-Eye Kendram initiative of the Government of Andhra Pradesh is making a real difference in the lives of people, especially in the remote, rural areas of Andhra Pradesh through the successful provision of teleophthalmology services.

The Andhra Pradesh Government has been implementing the “Mukhyamantri e-Eye Kendram-MeEK programme since 1st February 2018. This tele-ophthalmology service is one of the largest Public-Private Partnership projects in India.

Drawing inspiration from the success of Tele-Ophthalmology and with the aim of bringing quality eye care to remote and rural areas, Apollo TeleHealth has emerged as a leading name and pioneer in tele-ophthalmology Services. Through the use of state-of-the-art digital technologies and a team of qualified experienced ophthalmologists, optometrists and technicians, Apollo TeleHealth has made a significant impact in this programme by providing eye care services to more than 2.5 million people across 115 Mukyamantri e-Eye Kendram (tele-ophthalmology Centres) located throughout the state of Andhra Pradesh.

As part of the initiative, Apollo Telehealth has performed over 2.4 million refraction tests and analysed more than 900,000 fundus images to identify early indicators of conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, cataracts, macular degeneration, and other eye-related problems for patients. Through their advanced telehealth services platform, they have also delivered more than 1.9 million spectacles for vision correction to patients across Andhra Pradesh.

“The accomplishment is particularly noteworthy since many of these people were residing in remote areas with limited access to all specialities for their health care needs. Over 1.4 lakh potential beneficiaries were referred to higher centres for further treatment. This project has played a vital role in using telemedicine to address healthcare challenges in rural areas. I am confident that the AP tele-ophthalmology programme, operated by Apollo Telehealth, is praiseworthy, and I hope it will continue to provide high-quality healthcare services to people in our state in the future” said J Nivas, IAS, Commissioner of Health & Family Welfare, Government of AP.

“As eye-related illnesses continue to increase in India, there is a growing need for increased awareness and access to high-quality eye care services. Tele-ophthalmology can play a critical role in extending eye care to remote and underserved communities, offering regular eye exams in rural areas while enhancing the detection and treatment of various eye disorders. For large nation like ours, innovation is the way forward for bringing health care services to every nook and corner, Apollo Hospitals Group is committed to playing our role with various State and Central Government to add strength in this direction.” said Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals Group.

Speaking about the program, Mr Vikram Thaploo, CEO of Apollo Telehealth said the Apollo tele-Ophthalmology centre is renowned for its systematic approach in organising tele-Ophthalmology programs and minimising patient waiting times. At Apollo TeleHealth, there is no compromise on the accuracy and quality in all our health care programs. Providing "customer delight" to thousands of people presents operational challenges, but we are pleased that we have been able to meet these challenges and deliver excellent outcomes in the rural regions of Andhra Pradesh with timely access to eye care, potentially preventing preventable blindness.

Providing quality eye care services to remote rural areas in India is a major challenge, as accessing an ophthalmologist can involve significant distances. Tele-ophthalmology has emerged as a critical tool for reaching those who may be otherwise unreachable, enabling routine eye exams to be conducted in rural areas and improving the detection and treatment of various eye diseases.