M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, May 16: With no eye specialist at the Sadar Hospital in Latehar for more than three decades or so, people either rush to Ranchi, a distance of 110 km or to Daltonganj, 70 km for treatment. And those who can’t afford to, remain resigned to their fate and lose their vision ultimately.
So, when Life Line express train began offering medical services at the Tori railway station under ECR Dhanbad division, on May 15, as many as 1249 of the 1264 patients, who turned up on Day 1, wanted to correct their vision only, the medical officer in charge of the Chandwa community health Centre, Dr N K Pandey said.
65 cases were diagnosed fit for cataract surgery on the very first day here at the Tori railway station.
On average 15 cataract surgeries are done a day in the Life Line express train.
311 visitors were tested for blood sugar. 320 visitors were given spectacles free of charge.
Acting Latehar district programme manager Ved Prakash said we make all efforts in over topping our target for cataract surgery as last year Latehar had a target for 2,000 cataract surgery against which this district conducted 3, 000 cataract surgery despite the fact that our Sadar Hospital Latehar has no eye specialist for decades.
Ved Prakash said the cataract surgery is conducted by eye surgeons who are arranged by an NGO.
Under NHM (national health mission) there is one ophthalmologist in the Sadar Hospital Latehar who just handles minor issues with eyes and eyesight.
