Super-specialty hospitals, doctors, the NGOs and the government should join hands to take healthcare to the doorsteps of the people, Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah said on Wednesday.
Inaugurating the Glued IOL department of Dr. Agarwal's Group of Eye Hospitals on the occasion of its 55 anniversary, Mr. Rosaiah stressed on the fact that a lot of awareness had been created about eye diseases in the country, thanks to joint efforts of multiple stakeholders. Developing further strategies and working with a mission would go a long way in furthering this cause, especially in rural areas, he added.
Increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases posed a great threat to vision, primarily due to retinal damage. Also, the number of children with vision problems has been increasing over the years. These issues were causes for real concern and must be addressed immediately, he said. The government's initiatives to ensure clear vision and quality eye care have also enabled a number of needy and deserving poor people to avail of state-of-the-art procedures.
The Governor appreciated the eye hospital chain for conducting free eye screening camps for school children in 55 schools.
Amar Agarwal, chairman and managing director, Dr.Agarwal's Group of Eye Hospitals, said the Glued IOL procedure involved implanting intra-ocular lens in those eyes lacking the lens capsule. This might be a congenital problem, or the result of trauma. It is also likely in patients wearing thick glasses post cataract surgery. The first Glued IOL patient, a girl from Villupuram, then four years old, who was operated on for a cracker burst injury to her right eye in 2008, was also present on the occasion.
