Tech Matters: Using tech for positive social change

Part of the systematic Aravind Hospital approach is manufacturing its own supplied through its Aurolab social enterprise affiliate. I was able to visit the new manufacturing facility just outside Madurai. David Green calls the approach forensic accounting: if you truly want to serve as many people as possible, analyze the most expensive item involved and then figure out how much it really costs to make. Start making it more affordably. Repeat. I've heard that Aurolab is the second largest maker of intraocular lenses (IOLs)in the world by unit volume (not by revenues). They also make the microsutures that have been traditionally used in cataract operations (although my understanding is that the new foldable IOLs make microsutures obsolete for most operations today). They also make dozens of pharmaceuticals: if it goes into your eye as eyedrops, they probably make it. My wife and daughter, Virginia and Kate, were along for the tour. We had to dress up in clean room garb. Aur...

After years of hearing about the incredible Aravind Eye Hospitals , I finally was able to visit this prototypical social enterprise. Their model is to charge 30-40% of their patients enough to pay for their costs as well as the rest of the patients, as well as something extra (which generates funds for capital expansion). I visited the main hospital in Madurai, where Aravind was founded by the late Dr. Venkataswamy ("Dr. V"). This was Dr V's retirement project! He came back from a visit to the United States impressed with McDonald's as a service delivery system, and decided to bring that same systematic approach to eye care. I've met with Thulsi, the executive director, in Europe at different events, but this was my first time on his (impressive) home turf. Loss of sight can be the greatest tragedy next to death, yet hundreds of thousands of people in the world are suffering from blindness. Participation by the public is the urgent cry in this mission of r...