Assam post offices bring eye care to rural communities
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In Assam, India, Bandana Devi and other accredited social eye care workers are conducting vision tests at local post offices.
Since December 2025, VisionSpring India partnered with India Post to offer basic eye care in areas where clinics are hard to reach. The pilot project addresses a significant unmet need, as nearly 9,000 people had been screened as of July, and 6,421 were diagnosed with presbyopia, age-related difficulty focusing on close objects, and received eyeglasses.
Many recipients, like tea stall owner Anjali Deka and local priest Romesh Chandra Sharma, experienced improved quality of life after receiving vision correction. Deka was able to help her children with their studies, and one child achieved a score of 97% on an exam. The project targets a vulnerable population, with the average monthly household income of beneficiaries around 7,000 rupees, where even affordable glasses can be a financial strain.
VisionSpring India chose post offices because of their widespread presence and public trust across the country. With nearly 165,000 locations, India’s postal network offers a broad reach for healthcare services, especially in rural areas. The organisations involved are now exploring ways to sustain the program, potentially through incentives or payment for dispensed glasses, and are drawing on lessons from similar initiatives in Bangladesh and Uganda.
