Delhi to be made cataract-free: Dikshit

New Delhi, Oct 4 (UNI) Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today reiterated that the Government was fully committed to make Delhi cataract-free and said all the steps have been taken to achieve the goal.

Launching the eighth phase of the two-day 'Motiabind Mukti Abhiyan' at the Guru Nanak Eye Centre here, Ms Dikshit said 450 centres have been set up in various parts of Delhi.

''The Delhi Government has targeted 4,000 patients to be operated and 20,000 people will be checked up during this two-day programme,'' she added.

Ms Dikshit said about 21,000 patients with cataract have been operated, free of cost under the aegis of this programme in the past decade.

''The Abhiyan has been successful in helping build up the infrastructure required to go ahead with the implementation of the programme,'' she added.

The Chief Minister further said community work is the scaffolding on which maximum benefit to the maximum number of people can be given.

''The Government of Delhi has been a fore-runner while implementing many such community programmes like the Perfect Health Melas, the 'Stree Shakti' programme and the 'Motiabind Mukti Abhiyan' that have benefited the population of Delhi immensely,'' she added.

The Chief Minister said the Government is giving regular community ophthalmology work, its full support.

''Running extension rural centres at Barwala and Narela to serve the rural population of Delhi at its doorstep and adopting the village of Barwala to make it cataract free in the future have been excellent steps,'' she added.

Patients registering under this Abhiyan, who are found to be suffering from cataract would be eligible for free treatment at any of the 40 designated hospitals that are managed by the Central or the Delhi Governments, MCD, NDMC, the ESI or the NGOs.

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