Page 89 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition July-August 2024
P. 89
TO INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT
EYE CARE AROUND THE COUNTRY,
IT WOULD BE OF GREAT BENEFIT
IF ALL TRADE BODIES AND
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
ENDORSE THIS APP AND USE THEIR
NETWORKS TO PROMOTE THE SAME
done, both the Central government and
the State governments would need to be
approached by the professional associations
of ophthalmologists, optometrists and vision
technicians who will need to express their
keenness to work with the governments to
address the common goal of addressing
uncorrected refractive error. It is only with
the assistance of the Central and the State
governments that professional associations
and not-for-profit organisations working in the
sector can help create these dedicated spaces
within the existing government infrastructure
that cater to the public at large in addition
to the existing infrastructure of large eye
SCREENS FROM WHO EYES APP institutions. In addition, the governments and
their agencies can help publicise these facilities
as they are made available for all the citizens
Spreading awareness of eye screening of the country. Setting up such eye screening
must be taken on a massive scale to see the facilities and ensuring they are widely and
impact. This application can be widely used easily available along with offering a simple pair
by the large eye institutions in primary eye of spectacles to all segments of the population
care, optometrists, optometrists and vision would contribute hugely in reducing the
technicians. To increase awareness about eye prevalent uncorrected refractive error. The
care around the country, it would be of great immediate impact thereby would enhance
benefit if all trade bodies and professional the productivity of the citizens of our country
associations endorse this app and use their resulting in positive contribution to the GDP.
networks to promote the same. Alongside, all
the sector’s associations working under the
refractive error space could consider further AUTHOR:
discussions with the Ministry of Health, Ministry RAMACHANDRAN.
of Commerce, and Ministry of Education to P (RAM)
work on a long-term goal till the year 2030 Ramachandran
to reduce the uncorrected refractive error Parthasarathy is the
prevalence in India. Honorary Advisor of
India Vision Institute,
Government infrastructure especially in Fellow Institute of
primary health care centres, kiosks in railway Directors and Eyewear
stations, post offices, regional transport offices Business Strategy
(RTOs) and bus terminuses can be deployed Expert, South Asia.
for basic screening and utilised with marginal The views expressed
investments for screening. For this to be above are personal.
OPINION THE INDIAN OPTICIAN | JULY-AUGUST 2024 | 85
