HYDERABAD: Like the ‘Aarogyasri Wards’, space would be earmarked for ‘Kanti Velugu wards’ at government district hospitals where operations would be taken up, and patients who need medical intervention after eye check-up will be followed up at the ward. Initially, two such wards would be established at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, Mehdipatnam.
Currently, separate units (20-bed) to check various eye problems are available at six old district hospitals. After the formation of new districts, Area Hospitals are re-designated as District Hospitals and infrastructure is being developed. Officials from the State Health Department said that there are plans to develop 10-bed units for eye problems at the remaining hospitals.
The government will be conducting free eye tests for 3.7 crore people. Eye screening camps which would be launched on August 15, will be conducted till January as per tentative plans. Around 124 public and private hospitals are identified where surgeries for cataract, glaucoma and other conditions will be taken up. Besides, district hospitals would be developed to attend the cases. “There are plans to open Kanti Velugu special wards at district hospitals. A final decision is yet to be taken,” said Dr B Shiva Prasad, TVVP commissioner.
Superintendent of Sarojini Devi Eye Hospitals, Dr S Ravinder Goud said that separate beds are allotted for the two Kanti Velugu wards and other resources are being arranged. “There will be 100 beds in the two wards,” Dr Ravinder said. To know the refractive error of the people who will be put under series of tests as part of Kanti Velugu programme, 600 auto-refractometers are bought and 200 more would be hired on a daily rental basis. Dr B Mothilal Naik, joint director, National Programme for Control of Blindness (Telangana unit), said that after the Eye Screening camps, the 600 refractometers would be handed over to government hospitals, health centres and to RBSK teams in the State.