#ScienceSocial With Dr Padmaja Rani at the Canadian Ophthalmological Society Meeting 2026
Written by LVPEI Communications
Published 28th July 2026
The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) showcased its integrated model of rural eye care delivery as part of the Harold Stein Innovator Lectureship Award at the Canadian Ophthalmological Society Meeting 2026, held in Montreal. Dr Padmaja Rani, Network-wide Head of Tele-ophthalmology, delivered the lecture on behalf of the Founder-Chair, Dr Gullapalli N Rao, who was the recipient of the award.
The crux of this lecture was an essential idea that formed the ethos of LVPEI:
eye care isn’t simply about whether one can deliver excellence but whether they can deliver that excellence equitably, and how to reconcile the two.
In her lecture, ‘Integrated Model of Rural Eye Care Delivery’, Dr Padmaja spoke about LVPEI’s nearly four-decade journey of building an eye care system that ensures every individual, regardless of geography or financial circumstances, has access to high-quality eye care. LVPEI’s 3A framework – Aware, Access, and Accept – supported by Vision Guardians, Vision Centres, Training Centres, and Quaternary Care facilities, all connected through a highly coordinated referral network, was the heart of the presentation.
Using the Bhosle Gopal Rao Patil Eye Centre in Telangana as a case study, Dr Padmaja demonstrated how continued investment in community-based eye care has translated into public health outcomes. Over three decades, Bhosle Gopal Rao Patil Eye Centre has examined over 800,000 outpatients and performed over 101,000 surgeries, with nearly half of them at no cost to the patient. The network has also contributed to a significant reduction in visual impairment among adults aged 50 years and above—from 50.7% in the late 1990s to 16.2% in recent assessments.
Concluding the lecture, Dr Padmaja noted that the model was built on three guiding principles—Talent, Technology and Tenderness—which aligned with LVPEI’s founding mission: “So that all may see.”
The Harold Stein Lectureship provided a fitting platform to share the model that continues to inspire eye care systems worldwide through its commitment to clinical excellence, innovation, education and equitable access to eye care.
