Health Minister Harish Rao starts Pacho machines in Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital

Hyderabad: Health Minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday started Pacho Machines, which will be helpful in doing eye surgeries in a quick time.

The health minister along with the Home Minister Md Mahmood Ali started the machine at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital (SDEH) through virtual mode on Wednesday. These machines work like ultrasound technology and will be useful in the cataract surgeries. Each Pacho machine costs Rs 28.85 lakh and the government has procured 12 machines to be used in the entire state.

While two machines will be used in Sarojini, nine others will be used in Mahabubnagar, Warangal, Nizamabad, Sangareddy, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Vikarabad, Nalgonda and Khammam districts. The Health Minister informed that the government had spent Rs 3.46 crore on these machines. The cataract operations which cost Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 will be done for free in government hospitals.

The health minister lauds the department staff for the successful completion of screening of 1.62 crore people in 100 days under the Kanti Velugu program. About 25 percent of the population was given reading glasses and 18.08 lakh people were given prescription glasses.