Backgound:

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation is the sole public bus transport provider for Bengaluru city in Karnataka state, serving urban, suburban, and rural areas. BMTC is committed to providing quality, safe, reliable, clean, and affordable travel. BMTC’s stronghold in public transport in Bengaluru is a testimony to its adoption of sound Management, HR, Quality and Environmental policies and strong support from the Government of Karnataka and esteemed passengers. BMTC has 45 bus depots, 55 bus stations, 6471 vehicles, and 33,504 staff employed in the organization.

Solution:

The BMTC bus drivers & conductors eye screening programme is done in

collaboration with Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and aimed to cover all the bus drivers, conductors, cleaners, depot workers and the BMTC crew by providing them free eye check-ups, spectacles, and medical counselling.

Nayonika Eye Care Charitable Trust supported by Sightsavers India organised outreach eye screening camps in coordination with BMTC in various depot locations and bus halt points where bus drivers and other staff are available. These locations were reached out by a team of well-trained Optometrist, field coordinator and health workers which ensured appropriate permissions and allotment of space in day and night time as per the availability of drivers and other staff.

1. Primary eye screening to bus drivers, conductors and other staff were provided at the BMTC depots.

2. Dispensed spectacles those who were diagnosed with refractive errors. 3. Referred patients with cataract, other eye problems to base hospital/concerned medical department for further treatment.

Challenges and Mitigations:

1. Biggest challenge was, initially many of the BMTC staff working in night and early morning shifts were left out due to timing issue.

Mitigation: The team mitigated this issue by planning camps according to shift timings of BMTC staff by placing multiple screening teams including organising camps during evening and night shifts, thus ensuring all staff are covered.

2. The issue of noncompliance of using of near vision readers prescribed to drivers and conductors was identified.

Mitigation: The team ensured that all staff were counselled properly before prescribing and dispensing near vision glasses about the benefits of glasses, why and how one should use them, when to use them and how to take care of them, etc.

Achievements:

• 455 outreach camps have been conducted at BMTC Depots
• 45 BMTC Depots covered
• 35,119 bus drivers, conductors and other depot workers have been screened, of these 21,400 were bus drivers
• 12,982 spectacles were prescribed and distributed
• 164 were identified with cataract and referred for further treatment