MoU Signing Ceremony with Aravind Eye Hospital and Research Seminar on Restoring Vision to Millions- The Story of Aravind Eye Care System
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Date
05 Feb 2026
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Organiser
Research Centre for SHARP Vision
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Time
15:00 - 16:30
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Venue
AG204, Podium Level, Core A, PolyU Map
Speaker
Dr Sanil JOSEPH
Summary
Established in 1976 with a humble beginning in a rented house, the Aravind Eye Care System has grown into one of the largest providers of eye care in the world. Today, Aravind operates a network of 143 facilities - including 8 tertiary eye care centres, 7 secondary centres, 8 community eye care centres, and 120 primary eye care centres - serving a population of nearly 100 million people across southern India. Since its inception, Aravind has delivered over 90 million outpatient consultations and performed more than 11 million eye surgeries, with the majority of patients receiving free or highly subsidised care.
Aravind achieves this remarkable scale and sustainability through rigorous performance management, highly standardised clinical and operational processes, exceptional staff productivity, and a continuous willingness to innovate—ranging from supply chain design to task-shifting and workforce models. As a result, Aravind offers valuable insights for health systems and providers seeking to improve quality, equity, and cost-efficiency in care delivery. The “Aravind Model” has been widely studied and taught at leading management institutions, including Harvard Business School and the Indian Institutes of Management.
This seminar will provide an overview of the Aravind Model and its key components, and will discuss the core principles that have guided Aravind’s journey in delivering high-quality, affordable eye care at scale.
Keynote Speaker
Dr Sanil JOSEPH
Senior Faculty and Health Services Research Consultant
Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO)
Aravind Eye Care System
Dr Sanil Joseph has been associated with the Aravind Eye Care System since 2005 and currently serves as Senior Faculty and Health Services Research Consultant at the Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO). He leads and anchors health services research activities and is actively involved in teaching, training, and consultancy in eye care systems and public health. He has contributed to more than 45 eye hospital consultancy projects across 17 countries, supporting service delivery, quality improvement, and health systems strengthening. Dr Joseph holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne, Australia; an MSc in Public Health from the University of London; and a Master’s degree in Hospital Administration from Mahatma Gandhi University, India. He is a recipient of several prestigious research grants and fellowships, including the International Masters Fellowship from the Wellcome Trust (UK) and the Melbourne Research Fellowship from the University of Melbourne. His current research interests focus on digital health technologies, including artificial intelligence applications in ophthalmology, diabetic retinopathy, refractive errors, and primary eye care. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles. Dr Joseph also serves on the Board of Seva Canada, a Vancouver-based non-governmental organisation supporting eye care initiatives in low- and middle-income countries.
