CHENNAI: The State is planning to set up teleophthalmology service in 32 districts as an initiative to take the eye care service to the remote people and also to prevent preventable blindness by early diagnosis.
The Tamil Nadu State Blindness Control Society is shaping the programme to be launched soon. “There will be an optometrist in the teleophthalmology centres. They will examine every single person in the rural areas. If there are any eye problems, the optometrist will prepare an electronic medical record (EMR) and transfer it online to the district and nodal service centres. If there are any minor problems, the doctors will give opinion online. If any serious problems are detected, the patient will be shifted to secondary or tertiary care institutions depending on the case. The government will take care of the travel cost and the follow-up treatment expenses,” said a senior official in the Health department.
The programme will be funded by the State and the Centre. The former will share 60 per cent of cost and latter 40 per cent. After all technical issues are sorted out, the service will be started. “It will take at least another two months,” said the official.