HYDERABAD: The Kanti Velugu, a ‘visionary’ eye screening programme launched by the TRS government with the noble intention of creating an “Avoidable Blindness Free Telangana”, received a tremendous response, with thousands turning up to benefit from the scheme. But for some reason, the euphoria seems to have died down as many patients, after initial screening, failed to return for follow-up treatment or surgeries recommended by doctors.
The scheme, started in August 2018 with an aim to cover 3.5 crore population of the State, saw around 8.60 lakh people screened for various types of vision and eye-related problems in Ranga Reddy district, out of which 60,000 people were referred to other centres for further check-up and cataract surgeries.
However, just 8,000 beneficiaries underwent free-of-cost surgeries. The officials are clueless about the remaining 52,000 patients. Disappointingly, this came after Ranga Reddy district administration deployed 57 medical teams to conduct eye screening tests in 27 mandals.
According to the district medical authorities, while informing that spectacles were given to those who were recommended by the doctors, said that 60,000 people were referred to other centres like LV Prasad, Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital and eye hospitals run by NGOs for surgeries. However, they found that only 8,000 referred patients have successfully undergone surgeries.