Reg: Eradication of Blindness,
Sanjeev Goyal
84604
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DWARKA FORUM Dwarka Ki Awaaz (Regn No. S-63070) (A Welfare Association of Residents & RWA's / CGHS Representatives of Dwarka Sub-City)
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Regd. Office: 720, Pocket-1, Sector-14, Dwarka, New Delhi - 110078 |
Phone No. 011-20514195 E-mail: dwark...@gmail.com |
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No. SKG/NA/008 12 Mar 2022
Speed-Post
Sh Amitabh Kant, CEO,
NITI Aayog,
NITI Bhawan, Sanad Marg,
Delhi-110001. ceo-...@gov.in
Dear Sir,
Reg: Eradication of Blindness,
India is home for the largest number of blinds, that is around 120 lakhs. India follows a more stringent definition of blindness and as per latest news, by bringing the definition at par with WHO standards, the country is gearing up to improve the number to around 80 lakhs. This is still remains too large a number. As per vision 2020 target of National Program for Control of Blindness the number is to be further brought down to around 40 lakhs i.e. 0.30% of population. Because of the current higher number, India has always been shown in poor light internationally. Besides this being extreme physical hardships to blind people themselves it is also a question of resource management by the poor families to support them.
One NGO Sightsavers is publishing notices on television soliciting donations for carrying out medical procedures enabling blind people to see. The astonishing fact is that the demand for donations is just 2000-3000 rupees. This only conveys that we have millions of blind people because as a society we can’t afford this paltry sum? Assuming that two million people may be having curable diseases preventing them from seeing this world, the sum works out to only Rs.200-300 crores which is just peanuts as compared to resources required to support such a large population with this disability.
This has led to a confusion and calls for facts to be put straight. There are so many public sector units sitting on several hundred crores of CSR money just waiting for a hint from the Government where to spend, therefore shortage of money should never be a constraint in restoring the vision of millions.
While the Directorate General of Health Services should bring facts in the public domain
(1) whether it the shortage of money which is forcing people to live in the dark?
(2) Whether it is poor eye donation rate responsible for the trouble?
(3) How as a member of the public one should take a message from the NGO asking the donation of just Rs.2000 to make a blind person see.
(4) What efforts have been made by DG to attract the CSR money for the welfare of blind people.
We must also account for the fact that India is a country of around 1.35 billion people. To maintain an average life expectancy of 70 years more than 52000 people would die daily. In a country where these many people are dying daily, the presence of such a large number of people without vision is a primary question mark on the appropriateness or absence of a right policy which can encourage eye donation.
Greater is the number of person with disability greater is the loss pf productivity in economy.
A few of the steps to encourage eye donation could be:
(1) Waiver of full/partial hospital bill against consent to donate eyes,
(2) A fixed pay out by Government,
(3) Priority in job, concessional air/rail travel to immediate family members of donor,
(4) Taking eye donation pledge before joining a public service.
(5) Asking all family members of existing blind people to come forward for taking pledge for eye donation,
(6) Making appropriate rules for all unclaimed bodies found, and private persons dying in Government hospitals,
(7) Making eye donation pledge compulsory for all contestants of MP/MLA & other elections,
It is requested that task may be assigned to interns with the Aayog to make a project report on this and come out with suggestive policies/measures which could promote eye donation in an effective way.
For consideration please. Please acknowledge.
Regards,
S K Goyal
Vice President
D-103, Shivam Apartment,
Sector-12/14, Dwarka,
New Delhi-110078.