Clear Vision – Punjab India
Updated 4.1.2025
Goal: 1 Million Screenings!
Touch of Color-VisionSpring Partnership
Touch of Color has partnered with VisionSpring which is an international healthcare organization, working in the field of vision care services and products. VisionSpring has provided more than 10 million glasses worldwide—50% of it in India—after conducting eye exams and providing prescription (or reader) eyeglasses.
Together, Touch of Color and VisionSpring, have launched “Clear Vision Punjab” (CVP) project to make the state of Punjab in India, especially the rural areas, “refractive-error-free” over a period of 7 years. The objective is to make Punjab a model state for other states in India to emulate, and to make the whole country “refractive-error-free”.
In India, an estimated 300 million people require eyeglasses for vision correction. Blurry vision compromises one’s ability to work effectively, to read and learn in school, and to navigate surroundings with ease and safety. For many living in developing countries suffering from vision loss, a pair of eyeglasses could mean the difference between opportunity and loss of income and quality of life.
VisionSpring has deployed a team of eye-care professionals in Punjab, who set up camps in different villages of Punjab, and move from one district to the next. This team determines the eye power of all people visiting the camps and dispenses eyeglasses on the spot, or in 21 days in case of certain prescription eyeglasses.
With the CVP project, we were able to correct the vision of approximately 20,000 people in the first year itself, with the aim to scale this to a much higher number in the following years. With the cooperation of other corporate sponsors, and the support of Government of Punjab, we are aiming to cover all areas of rural Punjab. The state of Punjab is a model which can then be followed in other states, with the ultimate goal of covering the entire rural areas of India.
Clear Vision Punjab – Touch of Color/Vision Spring
Touch of Color-VisionSpring Mobile Van
In 2023, Touch of Color purchased a mobile van to be used at TOC-VS eye camps, and we have been using this van to do eye screenings for this project since April 2023. The van helps reduce the amount of time needed to set up and dismantle the camps and helps us reach remote rural areas of Punjab, where 70-80% of the population never had their vision tested.
Clear Vision Punjab – Touch of Color /Vision Spring Year 2024
SEE TO BE SAFE PROGRAM
For the year 2024, Touch of Color, in partnership with Vision Spring, launched the See To Be Safe Program. The program aimed to create awareness among commercial drivers, allied transport workers and associated communities on the importance of vision screening and eyeglasses for drivers to ensure road safety. The project is in alignment with The Clear Vision Punjab Program, which is a pioneering initiative aimed at eliminating refractive errors across Punjab by 2028 and developed in collaboration with Vision Spring and the Touch of Color Foundation. The program also strives to enhance vision health through comprehensive screenings, advocacy campaigns, and innovative outreach strategies through alliances with partner organizations.
~Key Performance Indicators~
- 11,765 Total People Screened;
- 9846 Number of Drivers Screened;
- 204 Number of Camps Conducted;
- 7401 Total People that Needed Glasses (Refractive Error);
- 4494 (61%) Total Glassed Provided (as a % of those Identified with Refractive Error);
- 408 Number of People Referred to Hospital for Ocular Conditions (Age Related Macular Degeneration); and
- 4008 (54%) First Time Wearers.
The project covered 4 districts of Punjab and Union Territory Chandigarh in a short span of project duration of about 9 months. The strength of the project was its flexibility and tenacity with available resources and situation. The project sailed firmly facing turbulence like heat waves, political restrictions, rejections from approving authorities etc. The project was backed by three teams of technical experts and management core members to maintain program quality and momentum till the finish line.
School Screenings 2024
SEE TO LEARN PROGRAM
In this program the teachers in the school were trained to do the initial screenings of the children. Vision walls were installed in 5 schools in Muktsar Sahib and 3 in Patiala.
A total of 40,000 school children from Government Schools of Patiala and Muktsar Sahib were screened. 10% of children were prescribed eyeglasses. All children were informed that they will get eyeglasses within 4-5 weeks of the eye screening outreach program. 100 children were referred to nearby Govt hospitals. Parents of these children, through their teachers, were asked to visit hospital to get their eyes tested from a specialist.
In general, for both Patiala and Muktsar Sahib, the number of female children prescribed glasses is higher than male children. Patiala, out of 13,457 children screened, 1,802 needed eyeglasses, which is approx.13% (compared to 8.7% for male children). Muktsar Sahib, out of 7,049 children screened, 846 needed eyeglasses, which is approx. 12% (compared to 6% for male children).
The Team That Made It Possible
Photo Gallery Patiala
Teacher training
Medical Clinic
With the focus on health and improving the living conditions of people in India, Touch of Color has set up a medical clinic in the village of Lasara, Punjab. There is a full-time visiting physician and the people of Lasara village and the neighboring villages can get medical treatment for a nominal cost. This has made it easier for people in the village to get medical help close by, instead of having to travel for an hour to a bigger town to see a doctor, as they do not have the transportation readily available to travel.
Medical Camps
We also hold medical camps in different areas of medicine, like, cardiology, gynecology, orthopedics etc., where doctors and and nurses from a reputable hospital in Ludhiana, Punjab, come and set up the camp for the day in the village. The patients can get free check-ups and they are advised of further treatment, if necessary. On October 19, 2022, a medical camp was organized at MJ Medical Center in the Village of Lasara, Punjab, India. It was a successful camp and more than 250 people were able to take advantage of the free services offered. This is an annual event hosted on the Mentor’s, MJ Singh’s, birthday on October 29th.