The State government has estimated distribution of 40 lakh spectacles to the needy free of cost in the Kanti Velugu programme of free check up of eyes of 3.5 crore population in the State from August 15.
The government has also estimated that some 50 lakh people might require Stage I measures of protection of eyes, about 2.6 lakh Stage II and 15,000 Stage III.
In its bid to make the State blindness-free, the government has made elaborate arrangements to run the programme with 799 teams whose personnel have already been imparted training in all aspects of check up. The teams will have 940 doctors, 1,000 optometrists and 8,000 supporting staff, sources said.
The check ups will be carried out at camps in schools, community halls, gram panchayat buildings and other government premises. The public turning up at the centres will be put through primary eye screening and then subjected to comprehensive tests comprising objective and subjective refraction. The needy will be given medicines and spectacles while those requiring surgeries and follow up action will be referred to hospitals.
The correction of general refractive ailments will be done on the same day by handing over reading glasses to patients. But, those requiring prescribed spectacles will get them in three to four weeks.
Patients requiring subsequent protective measures or surgeries will be referred to State II and Stage III hospitals. The government has identified 114 government, private and charitable hospitals for the purpose.
Sources added that the screening, distribution of spectacles and follow up surgeries will be monitored by a customised software application. The funds for the programme were transferred to the district medical and health officers. The ophthalmology departments of 30 districts headquarters hospitals, Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital here and Regional Eye Hospital at Warangal were strengthened.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who will launch the programme on August 15 has asked all MLAs and other elected representatives to take active part. The government has placed services of four to six additional doctors and optometrists in every district to meet exigencies. The administration has set a target of screening of 250 people in rural areas and 300 in urban areas at every eye camp every day.