Ensuring better eye health for children

Understanding the growing need for specialists who can comprehend and provide appropriate medical intervention for eye disorders among children, Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, launched a dedicated paediatric department on Tuesday.

The department will have a team of expert consultants and surgeons, providing treatment for common eye ailments like conjunctivitis, refractive errors, squints etc to complex surgical interventions.

Elaborating about the new department, Dr Vamshidhar, Head of Medical Services - Telangana Region said, “Vision is crucial for the holistic development of a child. Around 80 per cent of the learning a child does is through his or her eyes and hence requires dedicated attention and care. This very realisation has prompted us to set-up a dedicated department for children’s eye care.”

The exclusive section was inaugurated by a two-month old, Mohith Nanda, whose vision was saved by the doctors at the Hospital. Though the infant was born through a normal delivery, over the days while feeding the infant, the mother realised that the baby had a white reflection in his eyes. On detailed examination, the child was found to be having congenital cataract in both the eyes.

“Surgery on an infant as young as 2 months presents many challenges. They have low scleral rigidity, increased elasticity of the anterior capsule, and high vitreous pressure making it a highly demanding surgery. However, our team took up the case and removed the cataract from both the eyes,” said Dr Vamshidhar.

The department will have a team of qualified paediatric ophthalmologists who will be available round the clock. It will also have a state-of-the-art operation theatre capable of simple to complex surgical treatments. Further, the optical division has a separate section dedicated for children serving as a one-stop shop for all eye care needs.