According to the National Programme for Control of Blindness, who are supposed to screen the school students for vision problems?
In general vision problems present with difficulty in learning at school. These children with eye sight problems undergo screening by their school teachers. These children if they tend to have refractive errors, are then referred to the health assistants and ophthalmologists. The National Programme for Control of Blindness was staed in the year 1986 - 1989 in collaboration with WHO with the main aim of reducing the prevalence of blindness from 1.4% to 0.3% of population by 2000 AD. By this programme it was facilitated to provide comprehensive health care facilities for primary, secondary and teiary levels of eye health care. According to the NPCB, the major causes of blindness in India are cataract, trachoma, smallpox, infections, injuries, vitamin A deficiency, glaucoma, aphakia, refractive errors, central corneal opacification and posterior segment disorders. The objectives of National Programme for Control of Blindness are as follows: 1. Through mass communication and extensive education programmes, people were to be educated about eye health care. 2. Ceain units of eye care facilities were established in order to restore sight and allete eye ailments. 3. As a pa of general health services, at peripheral, central and intermediate levels various permanent eye health care centres were established. Ref: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 19th Edition, Pages 76 - 78; Postgraduate Ophthalmology, Zia Chaudhari, Pages 2 - 17; Concise Textbook Of Ophthalmology By Sharma, Pages 208 - 211.
Health assistants
School teachers
Medical officers of health centers
Ophthalmologists