Punjab has become corneal blindness free, Health Minister Brahm Mohindra announced today.
In a statement, he said the state's health department has successfully cleared the backlog of corneal blindness cases and expressed satisfaction at the success of Blindness Control Programme.
Blindness of the cornea is the 4th leading cause of blindness globally, and is one of the major causes of visual deficiency after cataract, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration, according to the World Health Organisation.
Mohindra cited the data available with the Punjab health department to say that no old case of bilateral corneal blindness is untreated in the state.
The health department took the initiative for 'Corneal Blindness Backlog Free Punjab' and until now more than 1,350 keratoplasties had been performed on corneal blind patients. Keratoplasty is the process of transplantation of corneal material to replace scar tissue that interferes with vision.
He said it was an uphill task for a state like Punjab to coordinate with all stake-holders to achieve this target.
Prof of Ophthalmology, R P Centre, AIIMS-New Delhi and co-chairperson National eye bank Radhika Tandon, who has been overseeing the programme, said the data showed that there is no old bilateral blind patient awaiting keratoplasty in Punjab, according to the statement.
However, there are 178 patients awaiting surgery and they are new cases. She complimented the Punjab health department for this achievement and said the state has set a model for other states to emulate.
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