This World Sight Day, free eye check-ups, repair of old spectacles at all Lawrence & Mayo outlets across India

 Tie up with NGO Sight Savers to initiate eye care awareness campaigns

Right to Sight programme to emphasise the need for 2 lakh cornea donations p.a.

Urgent need for 10,000 qualified Optometrists to support Eye Donation process

Increase awareness of calling 1919 to contact the nearest eye bank, donate eyes

This World Sight Day on Thursday, October 11, 2012, free eye checkups and repair of old spectacles will be conducted at all 89 outlets of Lawrence & Mayo (“L&M”), India’s most trusted opticians for 135 years, and pioneers in ophthalmic optics & instrumentation. L&M has also tied-up with an NGO called Sight Savers to increase awareness on eye wear and eye care for the common man as well as the visually challenged.

L&M and Sight Savers will also highlight the noble cause of eye donation – with 2 lakh cornea donations needed every year as against 20,000 cornea donations at present. It will also communicate that one simple call to universal number 1919  can help people contact the nearest eye bank and transform a life.

In a bid to connect to the youngsters of today, who have lot of misconceptions about glasses and  sunglares and their various uses during different activities throughout the day in school, college and extra curricular activities, L&M has initiated an online social media campaign through Facebook. This initiative encourages citizens to pledge their eyes for donation post their death. Interested donors can avail the forms on Facebook and at Lawrence & Mayo outlets. The ‘Eye Bank Co-ordination & Research Centre’ (EBCRC) and other partnering eye banks issue Eye donor cards through Lawrence & Mayo to each & every donor.

Vivek Mendonsa, Director, Lawrence & Mayo, said, “Responsible citizenship and Lawrence & Mayo have always gone hand-in-hand. As part of our community welfare programmes, we conduct multiple activities to raise awareness on prevention and treatment of loss of vision. This World Sight Day, we are conducting vision screening camps as well as creating awareness on eye wear and eye care in association a world renowned NGO, Sight Savers. We are also creating awareness on eye donation and the need to fill the gap in terms of optometrists and optometry as a career choice.”

“At Lawrence & Mayo and as part of my role as President of ASCO (Association of Schools and Colleges on Optometry), we have been working hard to build awareness on Optometry as an ideal career option for students passed out Twelfth Grade from the Gen Science stream. India needs 10,000 qualified optometrists annually, against which we have a mere 3,500 enrolments happening. If we are to achieve success in collecting corneas on time; ensuring proper storage; reaching the intended recipient on time and in the right conditions, we need to have ten times the number of capable optometrists available today. Qualified Optometrists have lucrative multiple employment options across all cities in India and overseas,” added Mendonsa.

Mendonsa added, “A key ingredient of Vision 2020: Right to Sight programme from the Govt. Of India, is to sensitize people and involve opinion leaders and NGOs working with community at the grassroot level, in advocacy and communication appealing for eye donation. We need personnel with high knowledge and awareness levels, a positive attitude and appropriate skills, to enable delivery of quality service, including willingness to work in slums, economically backward, senior citizen homes .With spastic & autistic children .It is indeed gratifying to have the involvement of highly capable, committed individuals working for this worthy cause. We feel confident that as we take the campaign to advanced stages and cover more states, we will be gaining ground and moving closer to meeting our set target.”

Holding fort in the field of eye testing, contact lens practice and dispensing, Lawrence & Mayo has kept abreast with global ophthalmic technology trends. Their Eye care Experts use sophisticated ophthalmic equipments for conducting Precision Eye Tests and conduct free check-up camps. To bring the underprivileged sections within its fold, Lawrence & Mayo periodically carries out ‘Old Spectacle Collection Drive’. Interested citizens can donate their old or spare spectacle at any outlet of Lawrence & Mayo. These spectacles are mended and given to the needy. Free eye screening programmes are also conducted at various schools and colleges.

About Lawrence & Mayo: Lawrence & Mayo, a two divisional company, pioneers in ophthalmic optics & instrumentation, has entered its third century of operations and is poised to make rapid strides in the 21st century. Established in 1877, the 135-year old company has carved a niche for itself as India’s leading manufacturing and dispensing optician, with diversification in scientific and industrial instrumentation. Today, the organization stands tall and is well-equipped to meet the needs of the rapidly growing market for eye care and precision instruments. They are also increasing focus on backward integration including Opening Schools & Colleges of Optometry, partnering with eye hospitals n creating more Optometrists, Optical Dispensers; future areas could be audiometry, hearing aids, etc. Lawrence & Mayo is the first name in Optics – using optics in spectacle lenses, optical instruments and now in optoelectronics like Total Stations, Global Positioning Systems for land surveying. They process their own lenses from customers’ prescriptions, selection, grinding, smoothining, polishing, cutting and fitting – they don’t outsource any activity except anti-reflection coating (ARC). They are renowned for their phenomenal speed, accuracy for customers and quick turnaround time. They have paid eye-testing programs in Corporate, Factories, Industries and Institutions. They have strong Engineering, Scientific, Vacuum, Vocational equipment and service with 250 Application Engineers n service team. To find the nearest Lawrence & Mayo outlet near your home log on to www.lawrenceandmayo.co.in.