BMC-VFI Bal Drishti Project

The BMC-VFI Bal Drishti Project is a School Eye Health Initiative under implementation by Vision Foundation of India in partnership with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) aimed at screening students across all 1,200+ BMC schools in Mumbai. The programme provides eye care knowledge, free spectacles and necessary eye surgeries to children aged 6 to 15 years, ensuring timely correction of refractive errors and other vision conditions, and supporting better learning outcomes and long-term visual health.

How the
Programme
Works

The Approach

The project brings eye care services to schools instead of relying on families from underserved communities to access services.

Implementation

Eye care comes to the classroom. Optometrists screen every child at school, refer those who need further care, and ensure they receive a full eye examination to plan treatment. Treatment includes free spectacles or low-cost surgery at VFI’s parent hospital. Every referral and treatment is tracked and reported to BMC.

what have we achieved so far

students enrolled across 52 schools
0
students screened (57% screening rate)
0
children advised to wear glasses
0
children referred for secondary evaluation
0

Patient Quote

"Every day I tried to read the board but could not see clearly. Now with my glasses I can follow every lesson. I feel like I can finally learn properly."

Tanveer
Byculla, Maharashtra