Toll-free number for eye care launched

Nellore: L V Prasad Eye Institute's Tej Kohli Cornea Institute launched an Eye Care Helpline, Call Netra, with a toll-free number-18002002211 at a programme in Venkatachalam here on Friday to provide quality eye care advice and referral support to the patients.

Anyone with an eye care problem can call this number to receive expert advice and to locate the nearest eye care provider. "In most parts of rural Andhra Pradesh, people who require eye care often suffer from poor accessibility, lack of infrastructure and no healthcare system support.

Non-availability of expert advice leads to inadequate diagnosis and thus results in delays in seeking a solution,” explained Dr Jagadesh Reddy, Faculty, Tej Kohli Cornea Institute.

Through Call Netra 18002002211L awareness about eye diseases will be created among the rural populace and any one can receive first level medical advice by dialling the toll-free number.

The caller will be provided details of the nearest eye care providers in their vicinity and treatment options if finds any care is needed. Nellore and Prakasam districts are the first ones to have this facility and this will be later be extended to the entire states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Ramam Atmakuri, Executive Vice Chair, L V Prasad Eye Institute said though there are treatment options available for many diseases at secondary and tertiary centres, patients continue to suffer due to non-availability of a proper referral system. 

In Call Netra, trained eye care providers will segregate the callers depending upon their eye condition as critical and non-critical. Critical patients are immediately referred to the nearest eye care providers.

Non-critical patients, based on their type of ailment, will be given information about various hospitals in the vicinity and will be provided with awareness messages to help prevent further eye disease. On Friday, Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu dedicated the service to the nation.