Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Camps
As someone with diabetes, your eyes are at risk of damage from diabetic retinopathy. People with diabetes need to have a full eye exam every year. DR is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. Eventually, it can cause blindness. Diabetic eye screening is important as it helps to prevent sight loss. Screening can detect the condition early before you notice any changes to your vision.
In the rural area, people with DR may not get identified in the routine screening camps – the Hospital conducts special camps for DR Screening once every quarter to identify patients with potential retina problems and since this intervention is likely to be a prolonged one, they are advised to come to the hospital along with their attendants. Almost all such patients are covered under the Tamilnadu Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (cmchistn) and hence they will be eligible for free treatment.