Hisar, Jul 11 (PTI) Haryana Health Minister Arti Singh Rao Friday launched the 'Ujjwal Drishti Haryana Abhiyan' from here, a statewide campaign launched specifically with the aim of providing free spectacles to school children and near vision correction to citizens above 45 years of age, according to an official statement.
Rao said on the occasion that 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 under the campaign.
Also, cataract screening of citizens above 50 years of age will be done and if required, they will be given free surgery facilities in government hospitals or NGO-run health facilities.
Rao 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 said.
While virtually joining the programme being held in various districts under the state-level Ujjwal Drishti Haryana Abhiyan, 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 the state government's goal is not only to restore eyesight but also to make the future of Haryana bright.
The minister said vision defects are the second biggest cause of blindness after cataract and they can turn into permanent blindness if not treated in time.
Keeping this in mind, this comprehensive campaign is going to become an example at the national level, she said.
Rao 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, the statement said, adding that 22 eye donation centres are also operating for this purpose. She appealed to the public to come forward for eye donation and said "your one eye donation can brighten someone's whole world".
Rao said the government is continuously working to strengthen the health system of the state through services like modern equipment, mobile medical units and telemedicine.