Date:17/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/17/stories/2006041715490700.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Hi-tech hospitals to provide eye care in rural areas

Special Correspondent

The network will train medical/paramedical and primary health care workers

PIONEER IN EYE CARE: G.K. Vasan, Union Minister of State for Statistics, Planning and Programme Implementation (independent charge) felicitates Dr. J. Agarwal, chairman, Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital at a function held in Chennai on Sunday. Dr. Amar Aga rwal, managing director of the hospital, looks on. — Photo: S.R.Raghunathan

CHENNAI: The Eye Research Centre, a unit of Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital, is aiming to promote a rural eye care network that will provide free and quality eye care to needy villagers through a series of hi-tech hospitals.

"The hospitals will be set up in remote rural areas to treat common diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, infections, injuries and refractions free of cost. Patients living within a six kilometre radius of the hospital will be periodically screened and, if required, brought to the main hospital for treatment," said J. Agarwal, chairman, Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital.

He was speaking at a felicitation function organised by friends and well-wishers on his getting the Padma Bhushan award. Each hospital would be established at a cost of Rs. 5 crore.

Eye donation

The mission was to eradicate blindness among the rural poor within the shortest possible time, encourage voluntary donation of eyes, establish eye banks and arrange for eye transplantations. The network would also train medical/paramedical and primary health care workers and conduct research on common eye diseases.

G.K. Vasan, Union Minister of State for Statistics, Planning and Programme Implementation (independent charge), said Dr. Agarwal was a pioneer in social eye care and had brought the gift of sight to thousands of patients.

Rajya Sabha MP B.S. Gnanadesikan and film music director Deva also offered their felicitations.