Nearly 1.6 crore undergo eye testing under Kanti Velugu

The Kanti Velugu initiative, being implemented for 100-working days, has so far screened 1, 58, 35, 947 individuals.

Hyderabad: The second phase of Kanti Velugu initiative, launched on January 18 in Khammam by Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao, has so far conducted eye screening tests to nearly 1.6 crore individuals across Telangana.

Launched with the theme of making Telangana blindness free, the Kanti Velugu initiative, being implemented for 100-working days, has so far screened 1, 58, 35, 947 individuals out of which over 22 lakh (22, 21, 494) people have been given reading glasses.

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Senior health officials familiar with the implementation of Kanti Velugu said that if the eye testing initiative continues at this pace, there is a possibility of conducting eye tests for 2 crore individuals by the end of the initiative on June 15.

The first phase of Kanti Velugu was launched on August 15, 2018 in Malkapur, Medak district and lasted for 8 months. Free eye screening tests were conducted to 1.50 crore individuals and 50 lakh reading glasses were distributed. In 89 working days, about 96.21 percent of eligible individuals have undergone eye testing in 12, 304 Gram Panchayats, wards and 3, 598 municipal wards across Telangana.

As per the figures recorded in the eye screening camps, there are more number of people who are suffering from blur vision and not able to see close objects. Many people over 40 years visit the camp with nearsightedness and reading glasses are provided to such people immediately.

Besides, vitamin A, D and B complex tablets are also being distributed to many people who are coming with eye problems. People above the age of 50 are mostly suffering from cataracts.