A
tele-ophthalmology unit (TOU), a modern mobile eye treatment facility for rural
areas, will be soon made operational at MKCG Medical College and Hospital here.
The project, sanctioned under the National Programme for Control of Blindness
(NPCB), includes an air-conditioned minibus fitted with the modern and latest
equipment, which make rounds of rural areas. Doctors, undergraduate medical
students and a trained technician on board will collect data and photographs of
patients and transmit these online to the ophthalmology department of the
medical college where experts will suggest treatment through videoconferencing,
said a senior. "Surgery if required will be conducted in the
hospital," head of ophthalmology department B Nageswar Rao Subudhi said.
The central government has provided Rs 60 lakh for the project while state
government has agreed to bear the operational cost. Subudhi said equipment to
be fitted in the minibus have already been procured and order placed for a
minibus. "The minibus is likely to be delivered in a week and equipment
will then be fitted in the vehicle. The unit will start functioning from next
month," he said.
The medical
college will tie-up with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for internet and
other facilities for online transfer of data, he said. The department has also
requested the government for an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), the latest
machine to diagnose and treat retinal aliments. The instrument will cost around
Rs 35 lakh. "We hope the government will consider our request," he
added. The minibus will initially ply on the dusty tracks of Ganjam, Gajapati,
Kandhamal and Rayagada district. Depending on the success of the pilot scheme,
the project will be extended to other districts in Southern Odisha, sources said.
Source: Times of India
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