Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated a mobile eye diagnostic van, called “Pashyantu”, introduced jointly by the LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) and the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), here on Thursday.
The van aims to provide advanced eye care to people in different districts of the State.
Many of the eye disorders, particularly glaucoma (high pressure in the eye) and retina (diabetic retinopathy), need advanced diagnostic tests and treatment by a specialist ophthalmologist. People need to visit specialists several times a year and for several years. The cost-effective method of care is to deliver these services closer to the people.
The 'Pashyantu' van with advanced equipment would visit all district-based secondary eye care centres of the LVPEI twice every month along with the specialists. To begin, it would cover such centres at Keonjhar, Sundergarh (Rajgangpur), Rayagada and Ganjam (Brahampur). All economically underprivileged people would be treated free of cost.
“This is a great initiative by the OMC and the LV Prasad Eye lnstitute.lt will take eye care to the doorstep of rural Odisha .It will greatly benefit people of Odisha in general and the people in the mining districts in particular,” said the Chief Minister.
LVPEI chairman Dr Gullapalli N Rao commended the support of both the OMC and the State administration for promoting universal eye care in the State.
