Kurnool Eye Hospital Gets OCT Machine
The machine was installed at a cost of ₹28.50 lakh with funds provided under the Chief Minister’s Development Scheme (CDS).
Kurnool:Andhra Pradesh minister T.G. Bharath on Saturday inaugurated an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) machine at the Regional Eye Hospital in Kurnool to help detect eye complications among diabetic patients at an early stage.
The machine was installed at a cost of ₹28.50 lakh with funds provided under the Chief Minister’s Development Scheme (CDS). It will enable doctors to examine changes in the retina and other parts at the back of the eye using advanced imaging technology.
Speaking on the occasion, Bharath said the OCT machine would help detect diabetes-related eye changes early and facilitate timely treatment. He said patients would have to spend around ₹30,000 for each such test at private hospitals, while those requiring repeated examinations would face a heavy financial burden.
The minister said providing the test free of cost at the government hospital would benefit poor and middle-class patients.
Regional Eye Hospital superintendent Dr Satyanarayana said OCT would help doctors accurately identify changes at the back of the eye among diabetic patients and diagnose complications at an early stage. He urged people to make use of the free diagnostic facility.
Kurnool Government General Hospital superintendent Dr K. Venkateswarlu said advanced medical equipment at government hospitals was enabling people to access costly diagnostic tests free of charge.