Free eye check-up for dist students

The Statesman, July 2, 2009
Statesman News Service

LANJIGARH, 1 JULY: Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) has taken up a programme to provide free eye check-up to school children in Lanjigarh block of Kalahandi district. The program will cover all schools in the 21 Gram Panchayats in the block.
The program taken up by the company will be implemented by Lepra Society and the district administration and is expected to benefit more than 10,000 children in different schools, said a release issued by the company here today.
To initiate the program on training program on primary eye care was organised recently and 70 Head Masters from different schools of Lanjigarh block attended the workshop.
Inaugurating the program Dr Mukesh Kumar, chief operating officer of the company said: “Children’s eye health is often ignored by people. However, ophthalmic problem among school children affects their ability to learn as well as succeed in schools.
The program will help in addressing ophthalmic needs of the children and improving their future.”
As part of the program, total 165 school teachers would be trained on primary eye care and eye screening. These trained teachers would then conduct eye screening camp in their respective schools.
A dedicated team of ophthalmology will visit the schools to support the teachers in the camp.
The children will be re-examined by the ophthalmic assistant from Lepra Society. The Company will provide spectacles, medicine and referral services, depending upon the individual cases.