Bhubaneswar, January 16, 2020: L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) along with Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) flagged off a Mobile Eye Diagnostic Van, ‘Pashyantu’ that aims to provide advanced eye care closer to people in different districts of Odisha. The mobile van was inaugurated by the honourable Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik, and would be covering every LVPEI Odisha Secondary Eye Care Centre (currently at Keonjhar, Rajgangpur, Rayagada, and Berhampur) twice a month.
Many of the eye disorders, particularly glaucoma (high pressure in the eye) and retina (diabetic retinopathy) need advanced diagnostic tests and treatment by a specialist ophthalmologist. People need to visit specialists several times a year and for several years. The cost-effective method of care is to deliver these services closer to the people. A mobile vehicle that brings the high-end equipment and the specialists regularly at fixed period is one of the solutions. ‘Pashyantu’ the mobile van with advanced equipment would visit all district-based secondary eye care centres of LVPEI every month along with the specialists. To begin, the following four districts will be covered – Keonjhar, Sundergarh (Rajgangpur), Rayagada and Ganjam (Berhampur). ‘Pashyantu’ plying between centres will impact more than 12,000 people and at least 48,000 hospital visits across all centres annually. By the Institute’s policy, all economically underprivileged people would be treated free of cost.
Shri Naveen Patnaik, The Honourable Chief Minister of Odisha, said, “This is a great initiative by OMC and L V Prasad Eye Institute.”
Sri Vineel Krishna, IAS, Managing Director, OMC, said, “This will greatly benefit people of Odisha in general and the people in the mining districts in particular.”
Dr Gullapalli N Rao, Chairman, LVPEI, commended the support of both OMC and the state administration for promoting universal eye care in the state.
About L V Prasad Eye Institute:
The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) was established in 1987 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 Centre for VISION 2020: The Right to Sight initiative. LVPEI has ten active arms to its areas of operations: Clinical Services, Education, Research, Vision Rehabilitation, Rural and Community Eye Health, Eye Banking, Advocacy and Policy Planning, Capacity Building, Innovation and Product Development.
The LVPEI pyramidal model of eye care delivery currently includes a Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad, 3 tertiary centres in Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, 20 secondary and 183 primary care vision centres that cover the remotest rural areas in the four states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka.
About OMC:
A Gold Category State PSU, Odisha Mining Corporation Limited was set up in 1956 as a joint venture between the Govt of India and the Govt of Odisha to harness the mineral wealth of the state. In 1961 the company became wholly owned by the Govt of Odisha.