Telangana to conduct massive eye screening drive across the state

Telangana will witness a massive eye screening drive across the state in a bid to ascertain the accurate disease burden of visual impairment.

In addition, to provide health care services, the massive eye screening camps to be set up across Telangana has been planned due to the prevalence of rising of eye-related ailments among adults and children in the state.

The health authorities will identify the ailments and issue corrective measures such as glasses during the drive free of cost. Also, if the need arises, corrective surgeries would be taken up later in an advanced State-run eye care centre.

200 fleet of 102 ambulances will be utilised as a part of the screening. With the recent statistics from 31 districts collected by Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), Department of Agriculture showcasing 81,931 adults with visual impairments in the state, the public health officials stated that Telangana is dealing with a high disease burden of vision impairment.

Even among children, the prevalence of eye-related ailments is relatively high in the State which has urged the officials to take up the eye-screening drive.

Seven stages will be set up for the camps including patient registration, preliminary vision testing, diagnostic examination, intraocular pressure and tear duct function tests, refraction tests, final examination, supplying optical glasses, patient counselling and in-patient admissions for those who need cataract surgery.