Speaking on the occasion of the launch of the Neonatal Eye Screening and ROP Control in Andhra Pradesh (NES & ROP-CAP) Program, Dr T Geeta Prasadini, In-charge Director of Public Health, Government of Andhra Pradesh said, “The Government of India has allotted Rs 168.80 lakhs towards the Programme Implementation Plan for the Year 2012-13 to establish Newborn Eye Screening and the ROP-CAP Program in the state for this period. With the program implemented under the able guidance of LVPEI faculty, we are happy to extend support to ensure that no newborn baby including premature babies in Andhra Pradesh be needlessly blind or visually impaired by 2020.”
General Ophthalmologists, retinal surgeons, pediatricians, neonatologists and the nursing staff involved, from the state of Andhra Pradesh, will be trained and empowered in the diagnosis and management of premature babies for ROP and screening for all other newborns for any early onset eye problems. Training will also be imparted to pediatricians and the concerned nurses to identify babies at risk and facilitate speedy referral to trained eye and Retinal surgeons. The training will be conducted at LVPEI and at the district level through CME programs/workshops focusing on increasing the awareness on ROP and neonatal eye problems.
LVPEI aid to establish the Neonatal Eye Screening (NES) and ROP-CAP with the following aims and objectives:
· Regional Institutes of Ophthalmology (RIO): Eye institutes managed (four centres) ROP screening and Prophylactic laser treatment with portable equipment.
· Community NICU based centres for screening.
· Training and education of manpower including CMEs and hands on training at L V Prasad Eye Institute.
· Neonatal eye screening for all newborns in the established state community delivery centres.
Dr Subhadra Jalali, Head, Consultant Ophthalmologist in Smt. Kanuri Santhamma Retina Vitreous Centre at L V Prasad Eye Institute said, “A newborn child requires comprehensive eye screening before discharge and again by 3 months of age, to detect any common birth defects that may be corrected by early and appropriate intervention. In Premature/low birth weight babies, it is critical to do a dilated retinal examination before 20-30 days of life and conduct close followup till the baby’s retina is fully developed. The training program is aimed at creating a network of personnel and services to manage the problem of ROP in a cost effective manner at the patient’s doorstep.”
Other common conditions affecting any Newborn include corneal infections and opacities, congenital cataracts, lid and lacrimal system abnormalities, glaucoma, tumours and globe malformations and the emerging epidemic of ROP.
About NRHM:
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is aimed at improving health care delivery across rural India. The mission, initially mooted for 7 years (2005-2012), is run by the Ministry of Health and proposes several new mechanisms for healthcare delivery, including training local residents as Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), and the Janani Surakshay Yojana (motherhood protection program). It also aims at improving hygiene and sanitation infrastructure. Some economists have called it "the most ambitious rural health initiative ever". The NHRM’s special focus is on 18 states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
About L V Prasad Eye Institute
The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) was established in 1986-87 at Hyderabad as a not-for-profit, non-government, public-spirited, comprehensive eye care institution. LVPEI is governed by two trusts: the Hyderabad Eye Institute and the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation. The Institute is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness and a Global Resource Center for VISION 2020: The Right to Sight initiative. LVPEI has six active arms to its areas of operations namely Clinical Services, Education, Research, Rehabilitation and Sight Enhancement Services, Eye Bank, and Public Health and Rural Outreach.
