Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 09 2008:
Health and Family Welfare Minister Ph Parijat today informed that the Government has been making efforts to set up an eye bank where the eyes donated by the people after they die can be stored for transplantation on the needy people in the State.
The Minister was speaking at the occasion of 9th World Sight Day observance held at Irabot Memorial Hall located at Challou Lamlai Bazar today.
The observance function was organised jointly by District Blindness Control Society and Upliftment of Underdeveloped Societies, Lamlong Development, Lamlong.
The Minister said that along with finding out how long the eyes donated by the people after they die can be stored before transplantation on another sightless person, the Government of Manipur has been making efforts towards setting up an eye bank in Manipur.
Stating that the India Government as well as Manipur Government have been launching campaign to restore the sights to aged persons who are losing their vision, the Minister said everyone should take care of their eyes and consult doctors to find out how vision impairment occurs.
He also called upon the people to extend their co-operation and support to the campaign for encouraging people to donate their eyes instead of allowing them to be cremated or buried along with their bodies when they die so as to give sight to another blind person.
At the occasion, the Minister also distributed spectacles free of cost to 196 aged persons who are losing their vision power.
Ahead of the observance function, the Minister inaugurated a newly constructed building of a Primary Health Sub-Centre at Okshu Ningthemcha Khul.
Speaking at the occasion, the Minister appealed to the people of the area for co-operation in proper maintenance and functioning of the health centre stating that Primary Health Sub-Centre has been set up with the main objective of providing health care and immediate medical needs of the people.
While informing that under the National Rural Health Mission a sum of Rs 10,000 would be provided every year to each of the Primary Health Sub-Centres towards meeting their infrastructural requirements and maintenance, the Minister said that the amount to be given by the Govt would be handed over to a committee.
Moreover, under the Sanitation programme steps have also been taken up for providing Rs 10,000 each to every villages.
For this also, committees have to be set up, the Minister said, while urging the people to make use of this benefits.
Officials of the Departments were also present at the occasion.