Chennai: Health minister K G Arunraj inaugurated the pre-launch of Vizhitthirai Kaappom, a state-wide retinal-screening programme that will target people aged over 30 years and those living with diabetes or hypertension.The programme aims to ensure annual retinal examinations for the target population, helping diagnose diseases early and prevent damage to retina or vision loss. Those identified with retinal disease will be referred for specialised treatment, Arunraj said. The scheme will be implemented through 385 block-level govt primary health centres, 37 district headquarters hospitals, 150 urban primary health centres, govt general hospitals, district hospitals and medical-college hospitals, he said.Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, where the event was organised, will function as the nodal institution, providing technical support, staff training and medical equipment for the programme, he said. He later interacted with patients who had undergone retinal surgery at govt eye hospital in Egmore.Diabetes and hypertension patients take medicines regularly for years without undergoing basic eye such as fundoscopy, a test in which an eye-care professional examine the back of the eye using a lighted instrument, special lens or retinal camera. Govt would seek public views before deciding whether fundus screening should be made compulsory for diabetes patients, he said.
