Centre committed to popularising eye donation: Minister

Chennai, June 11 (UNI) Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss said the Centre was committed to making eye donation a mass movement since there was a wide gap between the demand for donated eyes and the availability.

''Though last year's requirement was 1,20,000 eyes, only 25,000 eyes were donated,'' he said.

Similarly, eight-and-a-half million units of blood were required for various surgical procedures, but only six million were donated, Dr Ramadoss said while participating in the 12th anniversary celebrations of Rajan Eye Care Hospital and launching the Blind Free India - A Reality' project last night.

The WHO had warned that India was moving towards epidemic of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular ailments, he said, adding that in 15 years, nearly 65 million people in the country were likely to be diabetic.

The government would soon launch a National School Health Programme, where school children would be screened for eye and hearing defects, vitamin deficiency and diabetes. It was also planned to introduce the MMR (Mumps, Measles, Rubella) vaccine, he said.

The government would support all efforts made by private hospitals to propagate tele-ophthalmology, he added.

UNI