Over 1.50 crore people undergo eye tests under Kanti Velugu in Telangana

HYDERABAD: The Kanti Velugu programme launched with the aim of making Telangana blindness-free has set a record of sorts by completing 1.49 crore eye tests and providing reading glasses to over 21.29 lakh people during the second phase.

The ambitious programme is being implemented all across the state, in 11,260 gram panchayat wards and 2,981 municipal wards.

The first phase of Kanti Velugu was launched by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on August 15, 2018, in Malkapur of Medak district to correct vision defects of general public. The programme lasted for eight months. Free eye examinations were conducted to 1.5 crore people and spectacles had been distributed to 50 lakh people.

Continuing the same spirit, the Chief Minister started the second phase of Kanti Velugu programme in Khammam on January 18, 2023. The government decided to complete the eye tests for all in the state within the targeted 100 working days from January 19 to June 15 in the state.

District collectors, medical and health officials, and officials of various departments were involved in the planning and implementation of the camps to achieve the target set by the government.

During the Kanti Velugu camps, it was observed that many people particularly in the age group of 40 years were not able to read. Reading glasses were provided to such people immediately. Besides these, vitamin A, D and B complex tablets were being distributed to many that attended these camps.

It was also observed that people above the age of 50 years were mostly suffering from cataracts. The medical staff said that they were seeking expert medical advise in some cases through video calls for the benefit of the poor who could not travel.

Special Care has been taken so that the Kanti Velugu programme drive would not interrupt other medical services. All public representatives including medical department, panchayat raj, municipal and other departments were participating in it.

For monitoring, the government formed quality control teams at the state level and district level. Medical officials expressed confidence that they would be able to complete tests to 2 crore people if the same speed is continued.