TN Govt To Launch Annual Retina Screening For People Above 30
19 Sept 2026 11:00 AM IST19 Sept 2026 11:00 AM IST
The health department is all set to roll out the ‘Save Retina’ (Vizhithirai Kaappom) programme, a statewide initiative aimed at detecting retinal disorders at an early stage through annual screening of people aged above 30.
TN Health Minister K.G. Arunraj | Image Source: X
Chennai: The health department is set to roll out the ‘Save Retina’ (Vizhithirai Kaappom) programme, a statewide initiative to detect retinal disorders early through annual screening of people aged 30 and above, as well as those with conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
Health Minister K.G. Arunraj on Friday launched a pre-release event for the programme at the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology and Government Ophthalmic Hospital, Egmore. The minister said the initiative was intended to enable early detection of diseases that could affect the retina and vision and facilitate timely specialised treatment.
The programme will be implemented through 385 block-level government primary health centres, 37 district headquarters hospitals, 150 urban primary health centres, as well as government general hospitals, district hospitals, and medical college hospitals across Tamil Nadu.
The programme will be implemented through 385 block-level government primary health centres, 37 district headquarters hospitals, 150 urban primary health centres, as well as government general hospitals, district hospitals, and medical college hospitals across Tamil Nadu.
The Regional Government Ophthalmic Hospital in Egmore will function as the nodal centre for the programme, providing technical support, training and medical equipment required for screening and treatment, the minister said.
The minister also said the government had issued orders to establish six new government nursing colleges at medical college hospitals in Tirunelveli, Tiruchy, Dharmapuri, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Namakkal at Rs 270.26 crore.
Additional seats will also be created in nursing, pharmacy and allied health courses. The government has sanctioned 60 nursing seats at the Coimbatore ESI Medical College Hospital, besides 1,290 additional Diploma in Nursing seats, 440 B.Sc Nursing seats, 75 M.Sc Nursing seats, 120 Post Basic B.Sc Nursing seats and 600 additional B.Pharm seats.
The minister also said the government had issued orders to establish six new government nursing colleges at medical college hospitals in Tirunelveli, Tiruchy, Dharmapuri, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Namakkal at Rs 270.26 crore.
Additional seats will also be created in nursing, pharmacy and allied health courses. The government has sanctioned 60 nursing seats at the Coimbatore ESI Medical College Hospital, besides 1,290 additional Diploma in Nursing seats, 440 B.Sc Nursing seats, 75 M.Sc Nursing seats, 120 Post Basic B.Sc Nursing seats and 600 additional B.Pharm seats.
A further 1,646 seats will be added across 12 allied health courses, including optometry, emergency medical technology, medical laboratory science, dialysis therapy technology, anaesthesia and operation theatre technology, medical radiology and imaging technology, radiation therapy technology, respiratory technology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, physician associate and nutrition and dietetics. The government had announced the creation of more than 6,000 additional seats across these programmes.
On dengue, the minister said cases reported over the past week rose from 61 on September 14 to 133 on September 15 and 283 on September 16, before declining to 244 on September 17. He described the rise as a seasonal trend and said nine dengue-related deaths had been reported in Tamil Nadu so far this year.
He said mosquito-control workers had been deployed across districts and doctors in government hospitals had been trained in a dedicated dengue treatment protocol. The department was also monitoring fever cases daily, while local bodies would be provided additional manpower wherever required.
He said mosquito-control workers had been deployed across districts and doctors in government hospitals had been trained in a dedicated dengue treatment protocol. The department was also monitoring fever cases daily, while local bodies would be provided additional manpower wherever required.
The minister urged residents to prevent water stagnation around their houses and said industries and construction companies allowing water to accumulate had been warned and could face fines for violations.
On retinal screening for diabetics, the minister said the government would seek public opinion before deciding whether fundus screening should be made mandatory for people with diabetes.
On retinal screening for diabetics, the minister said the government would seek public opinion before deciding whether fundus screening should be made mandatory for people with diabetes.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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