In a significant boost to public healthcare, the Karnataka government has launched 13 Asha Kirana Vision Centers across Bengaluru under its state-wide eye health initiative. The centers aim to provide free eye care services, including cataract surgeries and distribution of prescription glasses, especially to underprivileged communities.
Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar, along with Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, inaugurated one such center at Dr. Balagangadharanatha Swamiji Multi-Specialty Hospital in Govindarajnagar, Bengaluru. The program is being implemented in collaboration with BBMP, the National Health Mission, the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), and various CSR organizations.
Currently, 11 of these vision centers are operational within BBMP limits, including facilities in Halasuru, Banashankari, Jayanagar, Indiranagar, and Malleswaram. Five centers are being operated through CSR partnerships, which contribute human resources, equipment, and free eyeglasses. These centers form part of a broader network of 393 proposed Asha Kirana Centers across Karnataka. They are designed to improve early detection and treatment of vision-related issues, particularly among low-income populations.
Officials have stated that the initiative will be expanded further to ensure basic eye care becomes universally accessible in both urban and rural areas. The Asha Kirana program is being hailed as a major step towards reducing avoidable blindness and promoting preventive healthcare through sustainable, community-based infrastructure. Residents have welcomed the development as a much-needed intervention in public health.
