Pilot survey in Gurgaon to assess causes of visual impairment

Gurgaon: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, will carry out a five-day survey in the city in association with the Gurgaon health department to understand the causes of visual impairment and blindness. The rapid assessment of avoidable visual impairment (RAAVI) survey, in which nearly 6,000 people will be covered, will start on Tuesday.

A total of 30 clusters have been identified for the exercise. “This is a pilot survey and will be conducted in other districts of the country if it yields positive results here,” deputy civil surgeon Isha Narang said.

Six teams, each comprising three members, will visit households, ask residents to fill in questionnaires and conduct eye check-ups. They will upload the data onto a mobile application, the RAAVI app, which has been developed by AIIMS for the survey.

The exercise will ascertain the visual outcomes after cataract surgery among operated cases and assess coverage for refractive error cases and glaucoma, childhood blindness, retinal detachment and diabetic retinopathy.

“Teams will carry out a door-to-door survey in the district. In case people have undergone cataract surgery in the past, its effectiveness will be assessed by the team,” said Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer, Gurgaon.

Officials said the survey aims to determine the prevalence and causes of eye defects and cataracts, which contribute to the maximum number of cases of blindness in the country. “The six teams will cover 1,200 people in a day,” said Praveen Vashist, in-charge of community ophthalmology, AIIMS, New Delhi.