The Central Government has announced decentralisation of grants being given to N.G.O.s for blindness control programmes. On the occasion of, World Sight Day the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss announced that “the power to provide grants to N.G.O.s working in the field of ophthalmology has been passed on to the states under the National Programme for Control of Blindness”.

According to Dr. Ramadoss, since the states are closer to the voluntary organisations working in the field, they can spot the genuine and dedicated N.G.O.s to join hands and achieve the goals of the National Programme for Control of Blindness. Necessary funds for this will be released by the centre to the state governments for further assistance to the selected N.G.O.s, as per the revised pattern of financial support.

The government will continue to support all its hospitals as well as the voluntary organisations for developing the eye-care infrastructure, so that modern methods of treatment reach the poor and the needy.

Dr. Ramadoss appealed to state governments to lay special emphasis on the prevention and treatment of childhood blindness. “Involvement of panchayats (local governments) in such programmes would be highly useful”, he said.

He also said that the government and the N.G.O.s have jointly prepared a blue print on Vision 2020 for India. The government plans to bring down the prevalence of blindness from 1.1 per cent in 2001-02 to 0.8 per cent in 2007.

Ramadoss said he hoped the change would make eye-care services a perfect example of community driven programme with a practical public-private partnership.