Teleophthalmology-based rural eye care in India

Undoubtedly, blindness is a major trauma, which affects an individual not only physically but also emotionally. There are approximately 46 million visually impaired people throughout the world. It is becoming a global problem. In India alone, 19 million people are totally blind or else have visual defects. Out of this 19 million, 15 million reside in rural areas. India is among the countries which suffers from a shortage of doctors. There are only about 12,000 ophthalmologists in India, with most concentrating their practice in urban localities. Additionally, the inadequate infrastructures of roads, telecommunication, transport and financial status of the patients make it even more difficult to provide health care in rural areas. Teleophthalmology is a new branch of telemedicine that offers solutions to this serious problem. This paper discusses Indian teleophthalmology projects known as Sankara Netralaya Teleophthalmology Project (SNTOP) and Aravind Teleophthalmology Network (ATN). These have proven successful in the state of Tamilnadu, India, both in rural and secondary healthcare centers.