A proposal of Rs 30 crore has been sent to the State Government on Sunday to covert the Eye department in Dr BR Ambedkar Hospital to a Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO). The move is desired to attend the rising number of patients in a better manner.
An average of 150 patients rush to the Eye department every day out of which several are operated upon. To provide better service, infrastructure, staff, machinery and other facilities will be introduced as soon as the proposal gets a nod from the Government.
A sum of Rs 90 lakh and status of RIO has been granted to the department by the Centre. The funds were reportedly spent on buying new machines. However, after the proposal gets a nod from the state, the department will also function as a research centre where eye-related diseases will be studied and research on their cure will be done. Experiments on latest techniques will be carried out. Also, complicated cases will be operated upon and special care will be provided to patients.
When contacted, Dean Dr Ashok Chandrakar said a lot more facilities will be introduced if the proposal is accepted by the State government. It would be the only such centre in Central India. Further preparations will be carried once we get an approval.
More than 3,000 operations are done in one year. Chandrakar said only Dr Ambedkar Hospital handles such a huge traffic of eye patients in the Central India. He said operation theatres, ward, machinery and staff will be added to the hospital which will prove to be a boon for patients.