Our goal is not just to improve eyesight but to make future of Haryana bright: Arti Rao
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
Haryana Health Minister Arti Singh Rao today launched the Ujjwal Drishti Haryana Abhiyan from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar. The statewide campaign has been launched specifically with the aim of providing free spectacles to school children and near vision correction to citizens above 45 years of age.
The Health Minister informed that this campaign is being run under the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment, for which special budget provision has also been made by the State Government. Under this, more than 1.4 lakh spectacles will be distributed simultaneously through 22 district hospitals, 50 sub-divisional hospitals and 122 community health centres of the state. This is the largest and first-of-its-kind campaign in the country. She informed that under the campaign, the eyes of about 21 lakh students studying in 14,267 government schools will be examined, out of which free glasses will be distributed to 40,000 needy students. Also, cataract screening of citizens above 50 years of age will also be done and if required, they will be given free surgery facility in government hospitals or NGO-run health facilities.
While virtually joining the programme being held in various districts under the state-level Ujjwal Drishti Haryana Abhiyan, Arti Singh Rao said this programme is not limited to only eye examination and distribution of glasses, but is a concrete initiative to lead the citizens of Haryana towards a self-reliant, equal and healthy society. She said our goal is not only to restore eyesight, but also to make the future of Haryana bright.
The Cabinet Minister said vision defects are the second biggest cause of blindness after cataract and if not treated in time, it can turn into permanent blindness. Keeping this in mind, this comprehensive campaign is going to become an example at the national level. She informed that Haryana is the only state in the country which provides assistance of Rs. 15,000 for free transplant in private and NGO hospitals for the treatment of corneal blindness. More than 800 corneal transplants are being done in the state every year, which is a record at the national level. 22 eye donation centres are also operating for this purpose. The Cabinet Minister appealed to the public to come forward for eye donation and said your one eye donation can brighten someone's whole world.
The Cabinet Minister said the government is continuously working to strengthen the health system of the state through services like modern equipment, mobile medical units and telemedicine.