7,500 free cataract target in Odisha's Sambalpur

SAMBALPUR: Sambalpur administration has targetted to conduct over 7,500 free cataract surgeries across nine blocks of the district over the next one year under its ‘Cataract Free Sambalpur’ initiative.

The initiative has been launched in collaboration with Trilochan Netralaya to identify patients in the remote corners of the district and conduct their surgery.

Collector Shubham Saxena said, cataract surgery is still not affordable for the poor despite being one of the basic eye care treatments which is why the initiative was launched. 

Director of Trilochan Netralaya Shiva Prasad Sahoo said though administration has organised many camps to provide free cataract surgery to the poor in the past, it failed to draw adequate number of cataract patients.

This time, the initiative will be executed under the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB).

“For identification of patients in the district, we will conduct door-to-door survey across the nine blocks with the help of ASHA workers who will be assisted by block level coordinators engaged by us,” he said.

Sahoo informed that 14 block level coordinators have been appointed for the survey. Volunteers from the departments of social work and anthropology of Sambalpur University will also join the survey. 

“We have already conducted training of the coordinators twice. Now, we are mobilising ASHA workers who will also be given training on vision screening. Subsequently, we will conduct the survey and organise surgery camps in each block,” he added.

Under the survey, every person above the age of 50 will undergo vision screening and get checked for cataract. Their previous health history will also be collected and all the data uploaded on an app developed for the purpose.