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STATE BLINDNESS CONTROL SOCIETY
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Under the National Programme for Control of Blindness, the Tamil Nadu State Blindness Control Society (TNSBCS), Chennai was created in 1996 to implement the blindness control project in the State.? The Secretary to Government, Health and Family? Welfare Department is the Chairperson of TNSBCS.? The Project Director is the Secretary of? TNSBCS.? The project also provides for a Deputy Director.? The Project was fully funded by World Bank upto 30.06.2002.? From 01.07.2002? onwards, the Government? of India? is? supporting the project.
During the 10th Plan period (2002-2003 to 2006-2007) action is to be? initiated to prevent and control? blindness due to? causes other than cataract,? particularly in children and the aged.
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Our performance is as follows
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CATARACT OPERATIONS IN TAMILNADU:
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Year |
Target |
Achievement |
Amount released by Govt of India (Rs. in lakhs) |
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2003-04 |
420000 |
450654 |
1648.28 |
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2004-05 |
440000 |
357699 (Upto 31.12.04) |
320.00 |
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SCHOOL EYE SCREENING
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Year |
Target |
No. of children screened |
No. of refractive errors |
No. of spectacles provided |
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2003-2004 |
1485000 |
2346028 |
111685 |
38550 |
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2004-2005 |
1800000 |
2234386 |
61868 |
25599 |
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EYE DONATION
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Year |
Target |
Collected |
Utilised |
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2003-2004 |
3600 |
4707 |
2678 |
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2004-2005 |
4500 |
3943 |
2139 |
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?The following activities are proposed to be intensified? in the year 2005-2006.
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(1)???? Performing cataract operations with more than 80% being Intra Ocular Lens (IOL)? implantation.
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(2)???? Screening of School children for detection of refractive errors and providing free spectacles? to poor children.
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(3)???? Collection of eyes for transplantation in persons with corneal blindness.
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(4)???? To provide training to eye surgeons in modern cataract surgery and other specialized procedures.
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(5)???? Enhancing capacities for eye care services in public sector by providing assistance to hospitals at various levels.
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(6)???? Development of eye banks and eye donation centers to facilitate collection and processing of donated eyes.? The Government of Tamil Nadu intends to start eye banks in Government Medical Colleges which have postgraduate courses in Ophthalmology viz. Madurai, Thanjavur and Coimbatore.? Chennai? already has a well established eye bank at Regional Institute of Ophthalmology & Government Ophthalmic? Hospital,? Chennai in co-ordination with Lions International.? All other Government Medical Colleges and district hospitals can function as eye donation centers.
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The Government of India has? proposed financial assistance for the above activities, as? stated below, in the year 2005-2006.
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(1)???? Support for salaries of key technical staff (Eye surgeons,? Ophthalmic Assistants)? In this regard a sum of Rs.264 lakhs? has already been released for 2004-2005 to Government of Tamil Nadu.
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(2)???? (2)Increase in commodity assistance to various facilities to increase their capacity for treatment of all types of eye ailments including those required for restoration of vision in blind children. Under this policy a new paediatric Ophthalmic unit at Regional Institute of Ophthalmology & Government Ophthalmic Hospital,? Chennai? has been commissioned? and is being strengthened by supply of various equipments.
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(3)???? A Marginal increase in Grant-in-aid to NGOs has? been proposed? due to cost escalation and for better quality of corrective spectacles.
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(4)???? Panchayats are involved to enhance the utilization of eye care facilities available in Government sector.? The Panchayats with the assistance of PHCs/HSC staff/ICDS functionaries, would identify, motivate and transport the persons requiring eye care activities to the Government Hospitals. The? Panchayats can claim Rs.175/- per operated case to meet the expenditure in this regard.
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(5)???? There is provision for financial support upto 10 lakhs as non-recurring assistance for equipments and furnishing for strengthening / developing eye bank either in Government or Voluntary sector.? Further recurring assistance of Rs.1000/- per pair of eyes is allowed towards honarorium of eye bank staff, consumables including preservation material and media, transportation/POL and other contingencies.?
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(6)???? In an effort to strengthen/expand the eye care units, non-recurring Grant-in-aid upto Rs.25 lakhs on a 1:1 sharing basis is proposed to be given.? This Grant-in-aid shall be by way of Ophthalmic equipments, construction of eye ward/OT, furniture and fixtures of OT and the ward and vehicle for transportation.
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(7)???? From the? coming? financial year all base eye wards will also conduct eye OP.
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With these policies on the anvil and with the financial assistance as above, the Government of Tamil Nadu have proposed to reduce the prevalence of blindness from 0.78% to 0.40% by 2007.? The Government of India target of 0.8% to be achieved by 2007 has already been achieved by the State.??
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