BHUBANESWAR: L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) Bhubaneswar organised a Glaucoma Awareness Walk from Patia junction to Big Bazaar junction here Wednesday. Similarly, the agenda includes events like a Glaucoma Education Forum from March 11 to 15 to aware the public on the need for periodic eye check-up and stay away from this disease.
The institute has been taking multiple initiatives, commemorating World Glaucoma Week (March 10-16, 2019), to bring public focus on this eye disease that affects both adults and children.
Glaucoma, a common eye disease worldwide, is responsible for permanent blindness in patients if not detected and treated on time. In India itself there are about 11.2 million people over the age of 40 years who are affected with this ailment and about 1.1 million have become blind due its irreversible impact.
The secondary centres of LVPEI based at Rayagada, Rajgangpur, Berhampur and Keonjhar also had patient interaction sessions under the LVPEI Bhubaneswar banner.
“As the leading cause of irreversible blindness, glaucoma care needs to be a part of our strategies to deliver universal health coverage. However in India, poor patient-awareness makes glaucoma an extremely dangerous condition causing permanent damage to the vision. Thus, prevention and early treatment of glaucoma are the key aspects in combating this disease”, says Dr Sirisha Senthil, Head of Glaucoma service, L V Prasad Eye Institute.