With an undaunting resolve and commitment to “No more avoidable blindness”, the theme of this year’s World Sight Day, Sankara Nethralaya the leader in preventable blindness initiatives and the Lion’s Club of Chennai Central Madras its steadfast partner in battling blindness joined hands to celebrate “World Sight Day” on October 9, 2014, at the Aruna Diabetic Centre, Arumbakkam, Chennai in view of the damaging impact of diabetes on blindness.
World Sight Day, the globe over is marked as a special day, annually, to raise awareness and address the problem of preventable blindness and vision impairment.
Pioneering the cause of “helping to see the world better” Sankara Nethralaya’s tele-ophthalmology team with Dr. Deepak Bijwani, Ophthalmologist organised a day long camp at the Diabetic centre under the aegis of Dr. A Paneer Selvam, Diabetologist, Aruna Diabetic Centre.
The day’s camp at the premier diabetic centre witnessed the screening of 90 patients that included many diabetics. All the patients underwent comprehensive eye check up along with routine blood sugar tests.
Tele consultation with consultant ophthalmologist at the base hospital offering expert opinion after detailed fundus examination, were offered to 45 patients. 18 patients were detected for cataract and referred to the base hospital for further management.
Over 13 pairs of spectacles were dispensed with on the spot for those who were detected as needing refractive correction.
The momentous day concluded with an important message on World Sight Day ‘to prevent, restore and enhance vision’.