HYDERABAD: There has been unprecedented response to the second phase of Kanti Velugu programme, which was launched by chief ministers of four States in Khammam on January 18.Several elderly persons, especially women and farm labourers, have been utilising the free eye screening camps daily. Rural folks particularly women, elderly and farm labourers are taking to the second phase Kanti Velugu programme in large numbers across the state.
From the date of launch of Kanti Velugu, the brainchild of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, lakhs of people have got their eyes screened and those who require them, have received eyeglasses free of cost.
On the day the second phase was launched, a whopping 1.60 lakh people turned up at the 522 urban camps and 978 rural camps set up across the State. All of them were tested.
On the first day of the programme, the healthcare staff identified 70,256 patients with certain eye related ailments and 37,046 patients were provided reading glasses on the spot. For the remaining 33,210 patients, the prescribed spectacles would be provided in due course. About 15,000 healthcare experts would be deployed throughout the State for accomplishing the herculean task of ensuring proper eyesight for all.
In Hyderabad urban limits, 1,500 teams were deployed and these teams would undertake eye screening and vision tests for all citizens, irrespective of their age group.
The achievement index says that a total of 406 gram panchayats spread across the State were covered in the last one week and eye screening in 981 villages was in progress. A total of 12.79 lakh people, including 6.79 lakh women were covered in the testing process till Friday. As many as 625 transgenders were covered in the screening process till Friday. A total of three lakh reading glasses were provided in the camps and 2.05 lakh patients were identified with vision problems, according to officials.