APJ Abdul Kalam: Set up vision to cater to rural patients

COIMBATORE: Former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam suggested the setting up of vision centers and mobile eye clinics by all the eye care centres, which can service the needs of rural patients, to improve the availability of eyecare facility to them.

"South India has made considerable progress in the mission of reducing the avoidable blindness among the citizens, which must percolate to all the States in the country," Kalam said in his address here to a gathering during his visit to Sankara Eye Centre in the city.

"Though eyecare in India is of world standards, we have to set up a research practice-technology network to find solution to glaucoma and other difficult afflictions", he said.

He suggested that the ophthalmic community should consider creating a research team, which would plan the systematic storage of clinical data collected in the hospital and carry out research.

Kalam also urged the eyecare givers to work with engineering institutes and national laboratories to identify, design, develop, produce and maintain reliable world class equipment in an affordable manner.

As part of the 80th birthday celebrations of Kalam, the Sankara Eye Centre conducted 80 free cataract surgeries, provided corrective glasses to 80 children and glasses to 80 others.