YSR Kanti Velugu to cover 5.73 L children in Chittoor

Tirupati: The medical and health and education department officials have made elaborate arrangements for the launch of State government's flagship programme 'Dr YSR Kanti Velugu' on October 10, the World Sight Day. The programme was aimed at providing a comprehensive and sustainable 'Universal Eye Care' to all the people in the State. Under the programme, eye screening and surgeries will be conducted and spectacles will be distributed free of cost.

While 70 lakh schoolchildren are targeted for eye screening during first phase to be held from October 10 to 15, in Chittoor district 5.73 lakh children will be covered from 6,256 government and private schools.

Children identified with vision defects will be screened again during second phase to be held from November 1 to December 31 and glasses will be prescribed to them. District Collector heads the task force for Dr YSR Kanti Velugu while District Medical and Health Officer acts as Nodal officer. At mandal headquarters, PHC medical officers will start the programme in coordination with Education Department officials. Each phase will be held for six months to cover one crore population. While phase III starts from February 1, 2020, final phase VI will conclude on January 1, 2022.