Rajasthan has become the first State to implement a policy to control blindness, with the objective of ensuring the “right to sight”. A massive drive will be undertaken in the State to reduce the rate of blindness, and bring light into the lives of over 3 lakh people suffering from visual impairment.
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The State government’s Medical & Health Department released the policy document here over the week-end. The prevalence rate of blindness, which was 1.1% in 2020, will be brought down to 0.3%, through the policy.
Medical & Health Secretary Prithvi Raj said the State government would mandatorily run keratoplasty centres for cornea transplant and eye banks in medical colleges. The cornea collected by private bodies and non-government organisations receiving financial assistance, will be made available to the government institutions, on priority.
Mr. Raj said comprehensive efforts for the elimination of visual impairment would be made in all the districts, in collaboration with voluntary organisations, trusts, hospitals and charitable institutions. Special training will also be imparted to eye experts as well as surgeons, post-graduate students and counsellors working for eye donation.
The policy will also entail a drive for public awareness as well as technical improvement activities, related to the cure of blindness.