'Six p.c. students have vision defects'

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, OCT. 19. Around six per cent of school children were found to have refractive defects in the Union Territory. This was found after the eight-day special camp launched by the Department of Health, assess the eyesight of the school students, particularly those in classes sixth to eighth. The campaign covered 61,579 children in 270 schools.

A communication from the Health Minister's office said today as many as 3,716 of the total 61,579 students, a 6 per cent, checked found to have visual defects. The school authorities referred 215 children to the General Hospital and select Health Centres for further investigation. As part of the campaign the health authorities have made arrangements for distribution of glasses free of cost to the children from poor families.

A batch of 376 school teachers were trained by Ophthalmologists and general duty medical officers and technicians. The next phase would cover the students in ninth standard and above in the second part of November. The schools in Yanam region of the Union Territory has been taken up from October 19 to 21.

Funds for the campaign had been provided from the National Programme for Control of Blindness, a press communication said.

Medical assistance

The Health Minister, Mr. E. Valsaraj, presented Rs. 1.3 lakh from the Pondicherry Medical Relief Assistance instituted by the Department of Health to Mr. N. Umashankaran, to enable him undergo surgery for triple vessel coronary artery disease in Chennai. The scheme was being operated for patients with life threatening diseases.

The Minister also sanctioned Rs. 25,000 to Mr. T. Sridharan of Mahe for correction of peripheral vascular disease of both legs at Manipal and to Ms. P. Janu of Mahe for major renal surgery. He also sanctioned Rs. 20,000 to Mr. Peter Kottaram of Mahe to undergo external radiotherapy for carcinoma at Manipal.

Health camp today

The Pondicherry-based Smile Service Society (SSS) said here the free medical `consultation camp' at Thaikal near Cuddalore, which was postponed from last month, would be held tomorrow for three hours from 9.30 a.m.

A team of the organisation including the president, Mr. Ashoka Subramanian and general secretary, Dr. Seemadevi, would camp at the village and distribute free medicines. The programme was being implemented in cooperation with the Thaikal Madhar Sangam and the local village panchayat.

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