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Coming to ReNew Vision from another town: how do I plan the visit?

ReNew Vision Eye Hospital is on the 2nd floor of the Pai Hospital building, Vaddem Merces Road, Vaddem, Vasco da Gama. This page is for families who live outside Vasco: anywhere in Goa, from Mormugao and Margao to Panjim, Ponda, Mapusa, Quepem, Sanguem, Canacona, Bicholim and Pernem, and across the border in Karwar, Sawantwadi, Dodamarg and Vengurla. It explains how to plan an eye check-up or cataract surgery so that the journey is as easy as possible for the patient.

Step 1: call before you travel

Call or WhatsApp 072489 88039 before you set out. Tell us:

• what the eye problem is, and who the patient is, with their age
• whether they have diabetes, high BP or heart problems
• whether they can manage stairs, or use a wheelchair or walker
• where you are coming from, and whether you would like the home pickup and drop

We can then suggest a day, tell you what to bring and plan the pickup. The Eye OPD runs Monday to Saturday, 4 pm to 7 pm, Friday included; Sunday OPD is closed.

Can you collect us from home?

Yes. We can collect you from your home and drop you back, at zero cost to the patient. Ask for it when you call to book, so the pickup time can be planned around the OPD hours. It also solves a common problem: after the drops used in many eye check-ups, and after cataract surgery, the patient must not drive.

Planning an eye check-up

• One visit usually covers the full check-up and the spectacle power test. See what a complete eye check-up includes.
• Come early in the OPD, close to 4 pm, if drops are likely: they take time to work, and the OPD ends at 7 pm.
• Dilating drops blur close vision for a few hours, so the patient should not drive or ride home. Use the pickup and drop, or come with someone who can drive.
• The ride home may be after dark, and headlights feel harsh after drops. Bring sunglasses.
• In the monsoon, allow extra time for the road.

If spectacles are needed, the Vision Correction Centre is in the same building, so frames and lenses can be chosen on the same visit. Ask when the spectacles will be ready, so you can plan how to collect them. See spectacles and the Vision Correction Centre.

Planning cataract surgery from another town

Cataract surgery (motibindu in Konkani and Marathi, motiyabind in Hindi) needs more than one visit. A common pattern is:

1. The check-up and counselling, with the lens-power test, sometimes on the same day.
2. The surgery day, which takes a few hours. An adult companion should stay for the whole visit.
3. The first check, often the next day.
4. A few follow-up visits over the next weeks.
5. The second eye, if it also has cataract, usually once the first has settled, and new spectacles a few weeks after surgery.

Ask for all the dates at the first visit, and write them down, so that travel and the pickup can be planned for each one. Families from further away sometimes stay near Vasco for the night after surgery, so that the next-day check is easy.

At home, someone must put in the eye drops several times a day for some weeks, so decide early who will do it. Sugar and BP should be steady before surgery; keep taking your usual medicines unless the doctor says otherwise, and tell the surgeon about any blood thinners. Read about cataract surgery at ReNew Vision and the family checklist for bringing an elderly parent.

What should we bring?

• the patient's spectacles, and contact lenses with their case
• old eye reports, prescriptions, discharge papers or surgery notes
• a list of all medicines, or the strips themselves, including eye drops
• recent blood sugar and BP reports
• the form, if an eye fitness certificate is needed
• sunglasses, and something to eat and drink, especially for someone with diabetes
• a companion, and our number saved: 072489 88039

Eye emergencies: 24 hours

Emergency eye care at ReNew Vision is available 24 hours, every day, including Sunday. In an emergency, the first minutes at home matter as much as the journey:

• A chemical in the eye: rinse with plenty of clean water for at least 15 to 20 minutes before you set out.
• An injury: do not rub or press the eye, and do not pull out anything stuck in it. Cover it gently.
• Sudden loss of vision, a curtain over part of your sight, or a very painful red eye: come the same day, without waiting for the OPD.

Call 072489 88039 on the way, so that we know you are coming. In an emergency, do not wait for a pickup; come by the quickest safe way. If the injury is severe and you are far from Vasco, go to the nearest hospital first. Read what to do first in an eye emergency.

How do we find the hospital?

Open ReNew Vision Eye Hospital in Google Maps for the live route from your home; travel time depends on traffic, roadworks and the weather. By train, Vasco da Gama has its own railway station, and Konkan Railway trains from Karwar or Sawantwadi Road stop at Madgaon, from where buses, taxis and some trains run to Vasco. By air, Dabolim is the airport for Vasco; Mopa is in North Goa. Directions from the bus stand, the station and the airport are on the visit page.

Guides for patients from particular towns

Short guides for families coming from particular towns are listed here as they are published. The general plan on this page applies to every town.

Questions patients ask

Do you collect patients from their home?

Yes. We can collect you from your home and drop you back, at zero cost to the patient. Ask for it when you call 072489 88039 to book your visit.

How many visits does cataract surgery need if we live in another town?

Usually several: the check-up and lens-power test, the surgery day, a check often the next day, and a few follow-ups over the next weeks. Ask for all the dates at the first visit so that travel can be planned.

Is the Eye OPD open on Sunday?

No. The Eye OPD runs Monday to Saturday, 4 pm to 7 pm, Friday included. Emergency eye care is available 24 hours, every day, including Sunday.

What if we have an eye emergency at night far from Vasco?

Emergency eye care at ReNew Vision is available 24 hours. Give first aid at once, such as rinsing a chemical out with clean water, then call 072489 88039 on the way. If the injury is severe, go to the nearest hospital first.

Can we get spectacles on the same visit?

The Vision Correction Centre is in the same building, so after the spectacle power test you can choose frames and lenses on the same visit. Ask when they will be ready, so you can plan how to collect them.

This page is general eye-health information, not personal medical advice. Your eye doctor advises you after examining your eyes.