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BLINDNESS CONTROL PROJECT

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??????????? The Tamil Nadu State Blindness Control Society was established in the year 1996 for the implementation of the World Bank Assisted Cataract Blindness Control Project / National Programme for Control of Blindness in Tamil Nadu. The Secretary to Government, Health and Family Welfare Department is the ex-officio President and there is a Project Director who is also the Member Secretary to look after the affairs of the Society. The Scheme was supported by World Bank till 30.6.2002, and thereafter the scheme is continued under the "National Programme for Control of Blindness" by assistance from the Government of India.? The Society supervises the conduct of Cataract Surgeries, functioning of base eye wards and strengthening of other facilities.??

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??????????? For the effective implementation and monitoring of the work at District level, a District Blindness Control Society has been formed in all the Districts.? The District Collector is the Chairman of the Society.? The Joint Directors of Health Services / Deputy Directors of Health Services as the District Programme Manager Incharge are taking care of the activities of the District Blindness Control Society.

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??????????? Every year in the month of May, the Government of India fixes the target for Cataract Operations, School Eye Screening and the number of eyes donations to be collected for the financial year.? This target is refixed among the Districts, based on the census report on population.? The District Blindness Control Societies aim at achieving these targets.

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??????????? The main activity of the District Blindness Control Society is to achieve the target fixed by the Government of India for free Cataract surgery with Intra-ocular lens implantation with the active involvement of Non-Governmental Organisations and Government sectors.? The other activities are School eye screening, Eye Bank activities (Cornea Retrieval Programme) and IEC activities.

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??????????? The District Blindness Control Societies conduct eye-camps frequently and also motivate various Non Governmental Organisations to conduct eye camps.? The people who require cataract operations are identified in these eye-camps.? Subsequently operations are performed at the concerned Non Governmental Organisation's Hospital or at the Government Hospital as the case may be.? The NGOs are paid Rs. 600/- per case to meet the expenditure towards drugs, Sutures, IOL, Spectacles etc., if any of the above component is provided by the Government of India as commodity assistance, related component is disallowed out of Rs. 600/-. Government Hospitals are given certain equipment, sutures and intra-ocular lenses necessary for cataract operations and manpower training for Ophthalmic surgeons, staff nurses and Para Medical Ophthalmic Assistants.

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??????????? Under the School Eye Screening, the District Blindness Control Societies and the NGOs examine the school children for refractive errors.? The District Blindness Control Societies provides free spectacles to the financially deserving children.? Cornea retrieval programme is also implemented with NGOs apart from teaching institutions in Government sector.? In this programme eyes are harvested from voluntary donors after their death and corneas taken from those eyes are transplanted to patients, having blindness due to corneal diseases.

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??????????? The track record for the past 2 years is furnished below: -

Cataract Operations in the State of Tamil Nadu

(Rupees in lakhs)

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School Eye Screening

Eye Donation

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??????????? As on date, Tamil Nadu stands foremost in prevention of blindness in the entire country and in the current financial year Tamil Nadu Government? exceeded the target fixed by the Government of India.

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??????????? For the year 2004-2005, Government of India have fixed the following targets.

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