Rajasthan’s Blindness Control Policy

The state of Rajasthan has made history by implementing the first-ever policy for blindness control in the country, with the objective of “Right to Sight.” Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has taken an innovative initiative towards realizing the concept of “Nirogi Rajasthan” (Healthy Rajasthan) in the state.

Key Points

• The policy aims to bring light in the lives of more than 3 lakh people suffering from visual impairment in the state. The prevalence rate of blindness in the country was 1.1% in 2020, and the government aims to bring it down to 0.3% through the Blindness Control Policy.
• The government is taking a number of measures to improve access to eye care services in the state. The state government under the policy for Blindness Control will mandatorily run Keratoplasty Center and eye bank in all the government medical colleges.
• Under this policy, cornea collected by private organizations and NGOs getting financial help from the government will have to be provided to the government institutions on priority.
• Efforts to eliminate visual impairment would be made in the districts in collaboration with voluntary organizations, trusts, hospitals, and other charitable institutions working in this field. The state government will carry out a campaign for eye donation on an extensive level along with the private institutions.

Nirogi Rajasthan Campaign

The “Nirogi Rajasthan” campaign, launched by the Rajasthan government on December 17th, 2019, aims to improve the overall health and well-being of the state’s citizens. The campaign focuses on a wide range of health-related issues and employs a multi-pronged approach to address them, including promoting healthy lifestyles, preventative healthcare measures, and creating awareness about various health-related issues.

This policy and campaign are a significant step towards improving the standard of living in Rajasthan and providing the residents with access to essential services that were previously out of reach.

Category: India Nation & States Current Affairs