Telangana: Kanti Velugu scheme to screen 1.5 crore patients in second phase

The unique eye care initiative that aims to conduct mass screening programs and distribute quality eyeglasses for free of cost to poor patients will be held over a period of 100-days with a cost of nearly Rs. 200 crore.

Hyderabad: The second phase of the prestigious Kanti Velugu initiative, which will be launched on January 18 across Telangana, will cover 1.5 crore individuals and distribute a staggering 55 lakh spectacles among needy patients.

The unique eye care initiative that aims to conduct mass screening programs and distribute quality eyeglasses for free of cost to poor patients will be held over a period of 100-days with a cost of nearly Rs. 200 crore.

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The Telangana government has already released Rs. 200 crore for the smooth conduct the of second-phase of the Kanti Velugu initiative, Health Minister, T Harish Rao on Tuesday said

“Kanti Velugu is the brainchild of Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao and it’s the health department’s responsibility to implement the prestigious scheme efficiently. I urge all the health workers in Telangana to rise to the occasion and give their best and implement the scheme properly,” Harish Rao while interacting with District Medical and Health Officers (DM&HOs) from across Telangana on Tuesday, said.

Out of the 55 lakh eyeglasses that will be distributed for free of cost, a total of 30 lakh will be reading glasses while the rest of the 25 lakh will be prescription glasses, which will be meant specifically to correct vision problems and for full-time use.

Compared to the first phase of the Kanti Velugu scheme, the authorities are planning to implement the scheme on a larger scale. In the first phase of the mass eye screening initiative, a total of 1.5 crore individuals were screened while 50 lakh spectacles were provided for free of cost.

In the second phase, the State health department is planning to screen 1.5 crore individuals and distribute 55 lakh eyeglasses. In the second phase, the State health department will form 1500 medical teams, compared to 827 teams during the first phase.