Global Ideas Institute  

2010-11 Expert Speaker Series

Dr. Ken Bassett | Dr. Anita McGahan | Dr. Peter A. Singer | Dr. Yu-Ling Cheng

Lessons from Aravind
November 29, 2010 | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Munk School of Global Affairs, Room 108N

Dr. Ken Bassett
Senior Medical Consultant, UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research

Aravind Eye Care System, located in southern India, annually provides approximately the same number of cataract surgeries as Canada, but at less than 1% of the cost. Each year, Aravind System conducts 250,000 cataract surgeries, while Canada conducts about 200,000 (based on an estimated cataract surgical rate of 6,000 per million, for 34 million people). Clearly it is less expensive to operate in India, but do the economic and cultural differences explain the diff erence in cost between the two settings? Yes, in part, but the challenge presented to Canada by the Aravind System – dedicated to high volume, high quality, and low cost service delivery – is whether we can learn its lessons on efficiency and productivity.

Dr. Bassett’s research focuses on the systematic review of drug therapy and drug funding policy. He has received recognition for his skill in the critical appraisal of drug plan formularies. His international work focuses on the prevention and treatment of blindness in Tibet, Nepal, India and Tanzania. He has acted as the field director of a population-based survey of blindness, and has developed community ophthalmology programs in remote areas. Dr. Bassett is a practicing physician with a PhD in medical anthropology from McGill University.