The lV Prasad Eye Institute (lVPEI) on Saturday inaugurated an Abha Dalmia Newborn Eye Health Alliance (NEHA) at its Bhubaneswar centre.
The lVPEI with sophisticated equipments and a team of highly-skilled paediatric retina specialist would provide Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) services in eastern India and only one in Odisha with paediatric retinal imaging, neonatal intensive care facilities under one roof. The ROP is rapidly evolving as a leading cause of childhood blindness in developing countries, including India.
About a million newborns in India are going blind within the first two months of life while more than 60 per cent of visual impairments in babies is preventable or curable if treated in time, said Dr Tapas Ranjan Padhi.
With motto “Tis Din Roshni Ke”, the ROP can be cured up to 95 per cent if newborns are treated within 30 days of birth, Dr Padhi added.
The NEHA is supported by former OCl president MH Dalmia to enhance the lVPEI’s capabilities in Odisha.