The district administration has introduced an Artificial Intelligence-based mobile app for detecting cataract to ensure early intervention and appropriate line of treatment to prevent vision loss.
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Launching the mobile app here on Monday, District Collector K. Senthil Raj, a physician, said cataract that badly affects vision and even causes vision loss can be set right by proper surgical procedure by an ophthalmologist. Since the district is estimated to be housing over 16,000 cataract patients, the AI-based mobile app, ‘E-Paarvai’ Cataract Detection and Screening System, has been launched to identify the people with this defect and give them appropriate treatment.
Besides treating them for cataract these patients will also be screened for glaucoma and vision-related problems caused by diabetes and appropriate treatment will be administered to them.
“We’re training the nurses attached to the government medical college hospital, government hospitals, primary health centres and other technicians of these hosptials on using the mobile app for identifying the cataract patients. This exercise will bring down the eye defects from the national average of 0.70% to 0.25% in Thoothukudi district,” Dr. Senthil Raj said.
Joint Director of Health Services Murugavel, Deputy Director (Tuberculosis) Sundralingam, City Health Officer Arun Kumar and others were present.