Government Regional Eye Hospital is likely to be upgraded into Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO) under the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB), a Government of India sponsored project.
Once the status is given, the hospital will be eligible to get funding up to ₹6 crore in three years for augmenting its infrastructure. GREH is the only hospital in the government sector to render speciality eye care in the State.
Facelift given
GREH Superintendent Dr. V.V.L. Narasimha Rao told reporters on Saturday that the State government had recommended the Centre to upgrade the hospital into RIO. Post-bifurcation, the State does not have any hospital with RIO status. The GREH set up about three decades ago has a footfall of 400 to 500 out-patients with 30 to 40 operations per day. It has eight operation theatres and teaching facility for medicos, nursing and paramedical personnel.
Dr. Rao said the Director of Medical Education had recommended to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to sanction NIO status to GREH and hoped that they would get the sanction for upgrading shortly going by the track-record of the hospital.
He said with funds to the tune of ₹3 crore sanctioned by the State government, they had acquired operation microscope, Pascal retinal laser, B-scan machines, slit lamp equipment and auto refractometer. The hospital is providing injections for diabetic retinopathy and services for complicated ailments and aged related macular diseases and emergency services on regular basis.
