VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Medical and Health Department has earned national recognition for its school eye care programme, which provides free eye examinations and spectacles to government school students.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in its latest report under the National Blindness Prevention Programme, praised the State’s proactive measures during the 2024–25 and 2025–26 academic years, noting that Andhra Pradesh’s efforts have become a model for other states.
In view of this success, the Centre has raised the state’s annual target for spectacle distribution from 90,000 to 2.5 lakh students for the 2026–27 academic year. Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav congratulated officials on achieving this distinction and urged them to continue the same spirit.
As part of the programme, free eye tests are conducted for students aged 6–18 years by paramedical ophthalmic officers and assistants between July and November each year. Students with vision below 6/12 are identified and provided with spectacles.
The cost, estimated at Rs 3 crore annually, is shared between the Centre and the state in a 60:40 ratio. Each pair of spectacles costs up to Rs 280.
District Blindness Control Societies, under the supervision of district collectors, select suppliers through open tenders. Spectacle quality is verified using lensometers, and substandard products are rejected. Dr Sunil Kumar Naik, Joint Director and State Coordinator of the programme, said continuous reviews of testing progress, staff deployment, and tender processes have ensured timely completion and satisfactory outcomes.
In 2024–25, against a target of 90,000, spectacles were distributed to 1,89,102 students. In 2025–26, arrangements have already been completed for 94,689 students, with numbers expected to rise further. For 2026–27, the Centre has sanctioned distribution to 2.5 lakh students, with an estimated expenditure of Rs 7.7 crore.
Non-governmental organisations have also extended support, helping the state surpass its targets and reach more students in need.