GOVERNOR MURLIDHAR CHANDRAKANT BHANDARE INAUGURATES PAEDIATRIC EYECARE CENTRE AT JPM ROTARY EYE HOSPITAL & RESEARCH INSTITUTE IN CUTTACK. TELEGRAPH PICTURE.VIKASH SHARMA

Cuttack, Jan. 16: A state-of-the-art paediatric eyecare centre, the first of its kind in eastern India, has been opened at JPM Rotary Eye Hospital and Research Institute here.

The paediatric eye care centre will address problems faced by children with cataract, refractive errors, glaucoma, retina problems and visually handicapped children with squint and possible vitamin A deficiency and measles blindness.

According to statistics, around 0.08 per cent of the state’s population — approximately 20,000 to 25,000 children — who suffer from visual impairments will benefit from the centre established at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore.

“We have been providing regular paediatric eye care and now a full-fledged paediatric opthalmic unit is functional at our hospital. The new addition at JPM Rotary Eye Hospital will ensure that no child in the state remain blind because of lack of funds,” said managing committee president, Rotarian S. Sudhakar Rao. The paediatric eye care centre is a milestone in the history of the state’s health programme. Sight Savers International, the partner NGO, has contributed about Rs 26 lakh for setting up the building while the rest has been provided by the institute.

Besides providing free consultation and surgery, the hospital has created awareness among people in the rural and tribal areas of the state on preventive measures against childhood blindness, Rao added.

The paediatric eye care centre will have two paediatric ophthalmologists, one anaesthesiologist, one paediatric eye counsellor, two vision technicians and ophthalmic assistants, three nurses, five special educators for visually challenged children and the centre would be managed under the guidance of a chief medical officer, said chief executive officer Paritosh Das.