By Our Staff Reporter
DEHRADUN, 12 Mar: A Glaucoma Awareness Walkathon was organised early this morning and was flagged off by Chief Guest Ashok Kumar, DGP, Uttarakhand, accompanied by his wife, Dr Alaknanda Ashok, the Guest of Honour.
Several organizations came forward to extend their support to the cause. Among them were Rotary E‘Club Doon 3080 represented by Vikas Dewan, Sushant Ahuja and Mohit Goel, SJA Alumni Association represented by its President Praveen Chandhok, Art of Living represented by Anil and Aparna Mishra; and the Dehradun Club Morning Tennis Association.
Drishti Eye Institute is observing Glaucoma Awareness Week from 12 to 18 March to spread awareness among people about Glaucoma (Kala Motiabind), which is one of the leading causes of blindness. In view of this, counselling and screening will be provided free of cost from 13 to 18 March between 4:30 to 6 p.m. so that the general public can be saved from blindness.
World Glaucoma Awareness Week is an iconic event in spreading awareness and eliminating ignorance against this sight threatening disease, which is rightly called “The Silent Thief of Sight” as it shows no early signs or symptoms. It is crucial for people to go for an annual eye check-up post 40 years of age, or those who are Diabetic or have a familial history of Glaucoma.
The event was a success due to the presence of Dr Shashank Gandhe, Dr Shruntanjoy Das, Dr Amardeep Kaur, etc., as also Drishti’s staff, who in order to educate and spread awareness about Glaucoma among citizens, carried banners, placards and distributed flyers to people during the rally.
With its mission “From Darkness to Light”, Drishti Foundation has been actively organising programmes throughout the year with special events like free eye screening camps for Diabetic Retinopathy, Cataract and Glaucoma, which are some of the leading sight threatening diseases.
Dr Gaurav Luthra, in his speech, emphasised on regular eye checkups in order to detect the early stage of glaucoma so that preventive measures can be taken in time. He also underlined the importance of extending quality eye care to remote areas in order to benefit people who in need of expert consultations. Dr Saurabh Luthra explained the importance of regular dilated eye examination for Diabetic patients and high power spectacle users.
