BHUBANESWAR: The State government has asked district officials to take immediate steps for proper implementation of Bal Jyoti vision screening programme and provide spectacles to the affected students.
The objective of Bal Jyoti programme is to extend eye care facilities like vision screening and on-the-spot spectacle distribution besides providing eye surgery and treatment for children of elementary and secondary schools having vision problems in a mission mode.
The programme is being conducted in a convergence mode with District Blindness Control Society, National Health Mission, Indian Red Cross Society, Chief District Medical Officer, District Social Security Officer and local eye hospital.
Collectors have been asked to convene convergence meetings at district level to chalk out plan, programme schedule and requirement of funds for successful conduct of camps at cluster/block level.
As per the programme, one teacher from each school will be provided training at block level on identification of students with vision problems. Ophthalmic assistant from PHC/CHC or District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) will provide training to the teachers.
While three to five vision screening camps will be conducted at block level or one camp at each cluster, camps will be held in a centrally located school where facilities like electricity, water and sufficient rooms are available so that at least 200 students with vision problem can be assessed by the ophthalmic team.
An official of School and Mass Education Department said student-wise refraction will be done by the ophthalmic assistant at camps and need-based power spectacles will be distributed to the affected students on the spot.
''Initially, students with complaints of vision complicacy will be identified by teachers. After preliminary screening, the list will be submitted to the block education officer who will finalise the venue for the camp,'' he said.
The government has planned to provide spectacles to one lakh students this year. Students identified for eye surgery or further treatment during the camp will be referred to DHH or State-level eye hospital and will be provided free treatment.
District officials have been asked to complete the training programme of teachers by end of June and school-level preliminary screening by July. While block/cluster level camps will be organised between August and November, students for surgery and eye treatment can be referred within 60 days of screening camp.