R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, MAY 9
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is keen on making the state one of the topmost health conscious destinations and taking all out efforts to eradicate the blindness, said Tamil Nadu Minister for Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Geetha Jeevan here on Sunday.
Inaugurating the 12th edition of RETICON – Conference on Advancements in Retinal Surgeries she said, “Tamil Nadu has always been a fore runner in healthcare particularly in ophthalmology and hosts many of the premier eye institutes from where aspiring ophthalmologists embedded with skills and advanced technology pass out and serve different parts of the country’’.
She also further said, “The new and modern methods of scanning and imaging has revolutionalised the diagnosis of posterior segment and enables the retina specialist to preserve the vision by instituting an early treatment measures. The advances are definitely an outcome of lot of research and knowledge understanding. Hope these kinds of conferences will be an instrumental factors in development of novel methods in restoration of vision and management of chronic eye complications.’’
- The Department of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment will chalk out a joint programme to screen poor widows, destitute women and old age people in association with Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital on free of cost: Minister
- Dr Amar Agarwal underscores the need to create awareness on eye donation among the masses, as the Cornea donated by a person can give vision to minimum 3 to six persons.
The Minister said, “There is a significant scope for enhancing healthcare services considering that the healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP is rising. Rural India, which accounts for over 70 % of the population, is set to emerge as a potential demand source. Success for the government and for the healthcare service provider lies in reaching out to the population in urban and rural areas. Hope this effort will contribute to the economy and development of the citizen as well as the Industrial sector and the nation.”
Later addressing the media, the minister said that the Department of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment will chalk out a joint programme to screen poor widows, destitute women and old age people in association with Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital on free of cost.
Addressing the inaugural event, Prof. Dr Amar Agarwal, Chairman, Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals, said: “The 12th edition of RETICON was a great success, with around 1,000 eye surgeons from India and abroad participating to discuss the latest innovations in vitreo-retinal surgery. With rapid medical advances related to retinal diseases, their management and treatment are becoming much more affordable and effective. However, India suffers from an acute shortfall of skilled experts in retinal ophthalmology. The RETICON conference aims to plug this gap by making the latest advancements and innovations available to all retinal surgeons to improve clinical outcomes.”
Later he told reporters that there are 1.2 crore people lost their vision due to retinal problem in the country. Main reason behind retinal problem is diabetic. Hence everyone should ensure that their blood sugar level is under control to safeguard from retinal and other eye related issues.
Replying to a query, the Dr Amar Agarwal underscored the need to create awareness on eye donation among the masses, as the Cornea donated by a person can give vision to minimum 3 to six persons.
Dr Amar Agarwal said that unhealthy lifestyle and excessive smoking are the major causes for retinal diseases in India. These diseases may go unnoticed for a long time, as some of them show no symptoms in early stages. People aged above 40 should take simple tests to examine their vision, by closing one eye and checking for blurred vision. In case of impaired colour vision, decreased contrast or colour sensitivity, patients should consult a retina specialist. All diabetics should keep their blood sugar levels under control. Regular retinal examination in every 6 months is mandatory to detect early changes in retina.
Dr Ashvin Agarwal, Executive Director & Chief of Clinical Services, Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals welcomed the gathering.
The sessions saw a range of specialists speak on topics like medical retina, surgical retina, vitero-retinal surgery and retinal potpourri. Live surgery was also conducted by surgeons for the benefit of the participants.
