Rajasthan became the First State in the Country to Implement the Policy for Control of Blindness

• 14 Jan 2023

Why In News?

• On January 13, 2023, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that in an innovative initiative towards realizing the vision of healthy Rajasthan in the state, the Medical and Health Department of the state has implemented the blindness control policy for the first time in the country with the objective of 'Right to Sight Vision'.

Key points

• Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the policy document has been released by the Medical and Health Department for the prevention of blindness. This policy has been brought with an aim to bring light in the lives of more than three lakh people suffering from visual impairment in the state.
• It is noteworthy that the prevalence rate of blindness in the country was 1.1 percent in the year 2020, which will be worked towards bringing it down to 0.3 percent through the 'Right to Sight Vision' policy.
• Under the state government's blindness control policy, keratoplasty centers and eye banks will be compulsorily operated in all government medical colleges. Under this policy, corneas collected by private organizations and NGOs receiving financial assistance will be made available to government institutions on priority.
• Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that efforts will be made in collaboration with voluntary organizations, trusts, hospitals and other charitable institutions working in this field in the districts of the state.
• The state government will run a campaign for eye donation on a large scale with the help of private institutions. Special training will be given to eye specialists, eye surgeons, postgraduate students, counsellors and eye assistants working for eye donation.
• Secretary of Medical and Health Department. Prithvi said that under this policy, public awareness and various technical improvement activities related to blindness control will be organized.