India needs to tread Telangana path to eradicate blindness, implement ‘Kanti Velugu’

HYDERABAD: India has overtaken China as the country with highest number of blind people. A vast majority of cases originate in rural India, and a large number of these cases are the result of a lack of fundamental screening and treatment. But, with its one-of-its-kind programme, 'Kanti Velugu,' Telangana is addressing this problem in a very strategic manner.

With 9.2 million blind people, India accounts for one-third of the global blind population. Almost half of it was avoidable. Eighty percent of the cases worsened because they were not addressed properly.

According to the WHO, a majority of them reside in India's poorest areas, with no access to even basic health care. They could have been saved from blindness if they had gotten treatment sooner.

People with vision problems are more prone to miss out on opportunities. This untreated disease contributes greatly to poverty in rural India. 88 percent of the incidents could not be avoided. The most prevalent causes are cataracts and refractive errors. Both conditions were treatable with early interventions and minor surgery.

However, Telangana, the country's youngest state, is addressing and resolving this critical problem strategically. The Telangana government has resolved to adopt universal eye screening across the state under the banner of "Kanti Velugu" in order to work towards Avoidable Blindness Free Telangana.

The state government provides free eye screenings and vision evaluations to all citizens. They were not only providing free exams to citizens, but also free spectacles. They even offered free surgeries and other treatments.

Approximately 1.54 crore individuals were screened in the first phase, with approximately 40 lakh receiving free spectacles. One crore people were examined in the present second phase in 47 working days.As many as 15.65 lakh people were given reading glasses, and 11.68 lakh were given prescriptions for glasses.

Furthermore, all of the glasses distributed were 'Made in Telangana,' supporting the Telangana start-up effort.

The unique initiatives of the Telangana administration have resulted in genuine smiles and happiness for lakhs of people.

The impact of this scheme's effective implementation can already be seen at the micro level.

Telangana's unique initiative has not only been a huge success, but it is also being replicated in a number of other states. India needs ‘Kanti Velugu’, the true working model.