West Bengal alone accounts for one million visually handicapped persons and ironically nearly 80 per cent of these cases are either avoidable or curable, according to a study.
"West Bengal alone accounts for one million visually handicapped persons and nearly 80 per cent of these cases of blindness are either avoidable or curable," Director of Susrut Eye foundation and Research centre, a premier eye care treatment and allied institute in Eastern region, Shib Shankar Bagchi, said quoting a study on Friday.
The Susrut Centre and the National Association for the Blind (NAB), an NGO working for visually challenged in India, today formally launched 'Together We can' eye care initiative aimed at providing eye care treatment to the economically weaker visually handicapped.
The NAB state secretary Kanchan Gaba said that NAB, working since 1952 for economically weak visually challenged people, would provide training and rehabilitation for the blind, while IT company Cognizant Technology Solutions would be roped in for funds and other forms of support.
As part of the initiative, a mobile eye clinic unit van will reach out to the economically weak visually handicapped persons who lack access to proper eye care treatment.