KARHFW NRHM DCP  Blindness Control


NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR CONTROL OF BLINDNESS IN KARNATAKA STATE

I Introduction:

India has Blindness problem which is of a very high magnitude. Two to three decades back, Trachoma was one of the major cause of preventable Blindness along with cataract. Hence Govt., of India launched National Trachoma Control Programme during 1976. Later on in 1978, it was modified as the National Programme for Control of Blindness. This was one of the 20 point programmes which used to be reviewed regularly at the level of the highest executive of the country and cataract was recognized as the most important cause of preventable blindness.

II Objective :

The Programme aims at reduction in the incidence of the blindness from 1.78% to 0.3% by 2010 A.D. The main cause of blindness are cataract which covers 69%, Refractive Errors 19.7%, Corneal Blindness-0.9%, Glaucoma-5.8%, Surgical Complications-1.2%, Posterior Segment Disorders 4.7% and others-5.0%. The population of Karnataka is 5.20crores. The incidence rate in Karnataka is 1.29%. The estimated prevalence is above 4.8 lakhs. To tackle this aspect following infrastructure was developed.

  1. STATE OPHTHALMIC CELL

      2. One state Ophthalmic cell has been created to plan, monitor and to evaluate the programme with the following staff

    • Joint Director(Ophthalmology)1

    • Assistant Statistical Officer

    • Stenographer Grade-1

    • Second Division Assistant

    • Driver and Group D

  2. MINTO REGIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPHTHALMOLOGY

    • Minto Ophthalmic Hospital, Bangalore has been upgraded as Regional Institute of Ophthalmology to provide an Advance eye health care.

  3. UPGRADATION OF MEDICAL COLLEGES

      4. Five medical colleges have been upgraded to provide higher clinical ophthalmic service. Qualified Super specialists are working in these institutions. They are:

    1. JJM Medical college, Davanagere

    2. J,N.Med.college, Belgaum

    3. KMC Hubli

    4. Medical college, Mysore

    5. Medical college, Bellary

  4. UPGRADATION OF DISTRICT HOSPITAL

  5. UPGRADATION OF GENERAL HOSPITAL

      6. 7 General Hospitals in the State have been upgraded to provide Clinical and surgical Ophthalmic Services to Rural Communities by the following staff.

    1. Ophthalmic Eye Surgeon

    2. Paramedical Ophthalmic Assistants

  6. UPGRADATION OF DISTRICT MOBILE OPHTHALMIC UNITS

      7. 31 Dist.Mobile Ophthalmic units are functioning in the State to Provide creative,promotive and surgical facilities to rural and tribal communities by adopting camp approach with the following staff

    1. Ophthalmic Eye surgeons

    2. Block Health Educator

    3. Staff Nurse

    4. Paramedical Ophthalmic Assistants

    5. Driver

    6. Group D For arranging rural camps, NGO's are actively participated in the programme.

  7. UPGRADATION OF PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRES

      8. 426 PHC's were developed with a creation of one Ophthalmic asst. Post to give primary eye health care facilities to rural community.

  8. EYE BANK & EYE DONATIONS CENTRES

    • Three eye banks are functioning at Minto Hospital, Bangalore: K.R. Hospital, Mysore and District hospital, Belgaum to provide grafting services with super specialists. About 3 Eye Banks are working in Non Government Sector, and 2 Eye Donation Centres are working. Govt of India had also introduced the scheme to encourage the voluntary organizations for establishing / development of eye banks and Eye Donation Centres. All voluntary organizations have been informed through district blindness control societies to utilize the opportunity to serve people.

  9. DISTRICT BLINDNESS CONTROL SOCIETIES :

    • The primary purpose of the district blindness Control is to plan, implement and monitor all the blindness control activities in the district under overall guidance of the State/Central organization for the National Programme for Control of Blindness. District Blindness Control Societies have been established in all the 27 districts. The Deputy Commissioner will be the Chairman. The District Leprosy Officer/ I/c DPM will be the Member Secretary. The following are the functions of DBCS.

      1. Periodically assess the magnitude of the problems of blindness in the District & to monitor and to report

      2. To activate voluntary organization in arranging camps. provide free spectacles to the poor patients who have under gone cataract surgery.

      3. Grants to voluntary organization for free eye camps

  10. KARNATAKA STATE BLINDNESS CONTROL SOCIETY :

    • To implement the National Programme for Control of Blindness effectively and strengthening monitoring of District Blindness control Societies and release of Grant-in Aid to various Districts, Karnataka State Blindness Control Society has been set up on 07-10-2002. Hon’ble Health Minister is the Chairman of the Society and Joint Director (Ophthtalmology) is the Member Secretary.

  11. IOL TRAINING

    • Under National Programme for Control of Blindness , IOL insertion training is given in Minto Hospital, Bangalore. Duration of the training is 2 months. Two Eye surgeons are deputing for each batch. Till date, 105 eye surgeons have been trained for IOL and 22 eye surgeons are trained for Small Incision Cataract Surgery.

    • NPCB orientation training has been given to 192 Staff nurses and 226 Para Medical Ophthalmic Assistants.

  12. SCHOOL EYE SCREENING PROGRAMME :

    • Screening of School children for refractive errors is the important activity of the National Programme for Control of Blindness. Every year, middle school children are primarily screened by the trained teachers and then by Para Medical Ophthalmic Assistants, and poor students who have refractive errors, will be distributed free spectacles by District blindness Control Society.