Berhampur: Ganjam district administration will conduct vision test of over 4.5 lakh students of classes I to XII of govt and aided schools under its newly introduced initiative ‘Nayan Jyoti’.This initiative will be implemented in coordination between the health and family welfare department and the school and mass education department.“Eye screening of all students, along with provision of distribution of free spectacles as per requirement, would be launched from next month in the district,” said Ganjam collector Keerthi Vassan V, here on Thursday. He said the first meeting to check out a detailed plan for proper implantation of the initiative was held on Wednesday, where concerned officers of health and school and mass education departments attended.The initiative is the advanced version of the govt’s Surendra Sai Divya Drushti Yojana, sources said. The govt launched Surendra Sai Divya Drushti Yojana, a free-of-cost eye care scheme for school students. Under the scheme, eye screening and free distribution of spectacles have been made. But distribution of spectacles to students was made after some months of eye screening for which they faced difficulty, sources said.“The district administration under its new initiative has decided to provide spectacles instantly after screening of eyes, if required,” said the collector.“Vision testing of students will involve a three-phased structured protocol, involving a basic vision screening, detection of refractive errors and referral for other ocular problems,” said Bhabani Shankar Mishra, chief district medical and public health officer.
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“We will provide training to the teachers for basic vision screening. They will refer the students with refractive errors to the block level, where the block level ophthalmology officer will test them and suggest the spectacles. They will refer critical cases to the eye specialists,” said Bulunath Sahu, district programme officer, National Health Mission (NHM).The district administration will talk with the supplier firm of the spectacles for the supply of the spectacles immediately after the eye testing of the students, he said.Ajay Kumar Patra, district education officer, Ganjam, said they have instructed all heads of the schools for proper implementation of the initiative. “The teachers will extend all cooperation to the health officials for vision screening of the students,” he said.
