Sankara Eye Hospital begins operations in Hyderabad; to get life tax exemption on vehicles
Apart from Eye screening, spectacles, which were made in Telangana, were also being distributed to the people as prescribed by the doctors during the programme, he said.
Hyderabad: Assuring all support to the Sankara Eye Foundation, which set up its Sankara Eye Hospital at Narsingi here, IT Minister KT Rama Rao said the State Government would not levy any life tax or transportation charges on the Foundation’s vehicles for the benefit of the poor.
The Minister formally launched the Sankara Eye Hospital here on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister lauded the Foundation’s plans to perform 30,000 surgeries a year for free of cost. He also appreciated the initiatives to extend free transportation to people from rural areas in the State to reach the hospital and to drop them back in their villages. He urged the Sankara Foundation to set up a College of Optometry and a training Centre for vision technicians in the city. The idea was to ensure that many people get benefited not just in Telangana but also in the neighbouring States, he said.
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During the Covid pandemic, many people from neighbouring States like Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and others were extended quality treatment in Hyderabad. With the launch of Sankara Eye hospital, Telangana has again consolidated its position as a destination for quality health and medicare, he said. Briefing about the State Government’s flagship programme Kanti Velugu, the Minister said till yesterday one crore free eye screenings were performed in the second phase of the programme, which was launched by four Chief Ministers, including Pinarayi Vijayan, Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwan Mann and K Chandrashekhar Rao at Khammam last December.
Apart from Eye screening, spectacles, which were made in Telangana, were also being distributed to the people as prescribed by the doctors during the programme, he said. The brainchild of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, the first phase of Kanti Velugu was launched five years ago. Over three crore people, which was nearly 75 percent of the State’s population, were covered under the programme, he said.
Be part of Kanti Velugu
The Minister also urged the Sankara Eye Foundation to partner with State Government in the Kanti Velugu programme. He appealed to the Foundation to commence its Eye screening mapping from Rajendranagar constituency as a base case. Based on this exercise, it can be extended in the entire State, he added.
Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao accords top priority to the health sector. Accordingly, 33 medical colleges and nursing colleges were being set up in all the 33 districts across the State.
In the last 67 years, only five medical colleges were set up in Telangana and after formation of the State, one medical college and nursing college was being set up in every district, he said, adding that Telangana was setting yet another benchmark for the country through this initiative.
Telangana’s initiatives in the health sector were recognized by the union Government as well. In the Niti Aayog’s Health Index, Telangana was ranked third after Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Telangana has maximum number of beds for one lakh people, which is highest compared to other States, he said. “Continuing its good work, Telangana will surpass Tamil Nadu and Kerala,” Rama Rao said.
Eye screening camp for opposition parties
Reminding that experts and people from other States were witnessing the growth and development in all sectors in the State, the Minister said opposition parties in Telangana were turning a blind eye to all these achievements. “I appeal you to conduct Eye screening camps for opposition leaders in Telangana,” KT Rama Rao said in a lighter vein.
