Kanti Velugu: 33.6 lakh undergo eye tests in second phase
Among several farm labourers from Veernapalli village of Sircilla district who benefited from Kanti Velugu, Chandrakala is one who was struggling to go work in the agricultural field because of poor vision.
Hyderabad: There were days when Merolla Murali, a tailor from Bhaskarla Bavi near Nalgonda town, could work only two or three hours due to poor eyesight. This affected his income, and in turn, he was struggling to keep his family afloat. He could not even to afford to go to the nearby town of Nalgonda and see an ophthalmologist. It was at this juncture that the State government announced the second phase of the Kanti Velugu programme.
Last week, Murali went to the eye care camp set up in his village and got tested, after which he was given a reading glass with a power of 2.5 points on the spot. He now does tailoring works for 10 hours, and is a happy man, expressing his gratitude to Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for initiating Kanti Velugu.
Among several farm labourers from Veernapalli village of Sircilla district who benefited from Kanti Velugu, Chandrakala is one who was struggling to go work in the agricultural field because of poor vision. She, like Murali, could not afford to go to a hospital, but did not waste a moment when told about the free Kanti Velugu eye camps.
“Kanti Velugu has given me new sight, and a new strength to take care of my family,” she said, showing off her brand new spectacles.
Murali and Chandrakala are just two among several lakhs of people who have benefited from the Kanti Velugu programme that is eliciting a great response from all the 33 districts in the State, officials said. Senior officials of the Medical and Health department believe that the second phase of Kanti Velugu could in fact help the State create a world record in conducting eye examinations.
So far, 33,60,301 people have undergone eye examinations across the State, while 6,76,732 people have been spectacles.
Kanti Velugu 2.0 so far:
* Total eye tests: 33,60,301
* Total distribution of reading glasses: 6,76,732
* Reference for Prescription Glasses: 4,60,775
* People without eye problems: 22,22,669 people
