Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of Karnataka introduces Asha Kirana scheme
- In Reports
- 12:30 PM, Feb 19, 2024
- Myind Staff
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has inaugurated the 'Asha Kirana Eye Care at Your Doorstep' initiative, aimed at offering free eye care services to households throughout the state. The scheme aims to enhance accessibility to eye care facilities for families across Karnataka.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah initiated the 'Asha Kirana Eye Care at Your Doorstep' scheme, aiming to offer free eye care services to families throughout Karnataka. The scheme is designed to enhance accessibility to eye care facilities, ensuring that individuals across the state can avail themselves of these services without any financial burden.
The Asha Kirana program encompasses a range of comprehensive eye care services, which will be offered to families at no cost. These services include doorstep eye check-ups, diagnosis, and treatment, along with the distribution of spectacles and the provision of cataract surgeries. The initiative aims to ensure that individuals have access to essential eye care facilities without encountering any financial barriers.
According to the state's Health and Family Welfare Department, spectacle dispensing centres have been established in all Primary Health Centers to ensure that those in need receive the necessary support and care to improve their vision and quality of life.
Additionally, authorities stated that the Asha Kiran program, aimed at reducing the prevalence of avoidable blindness, has already been successfully implemented in 8 districts across two phases.
In the first phase, Chikkaballapur, Kalaburagi, Haveri, and Chamarajanagar were covered, while the second phase included Chitradurga, Mandya, Raichur, and Uttara Kannada districts. Officials report successful outcomes, with millions benefiting from screenings and surgeries.
The Asha Kirana campaign aims to bridge gaps in eye health services, with health personnel conducting home check-ups. Primary screening covered 84% of 5,659,036 individuals, leading to further screening for 828,784 people. Among them, 245,587 need spectacles, and 39,336 underwent cataract surgery.
In the second phase, 5,277,235 people were screened, and 943,398 were diagnosed with eye problems. Treatment like giving glasses and surgery will be given. Next, the program will go to Ramanagara, Yadgir, Kodagu, and Gadag in 2024-25. Then, Chikkamagaluru, Bidar, Kolar, and Bagalkote in 2025-26. This helps reach eye care services to more people in Karnataka.
Authorities stated that Karnataka, with a population exceeding 6.5 Crore, stands out as one of the leading states in providing eye care services. They emphasized that these large-scale eye camps will extend the reach to more beneficiaries, helping to prevent early complications and enhance their quality of life.
Image source: ANI
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