The Vice-Patron of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust (QEDJT), visited the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI). The impact of the ROP
(Retinopathy of Prematurity) program got the attention from the QEDJ Trust today.
Premature babies are prone to Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), which afflicts the eyes of preterm babies. In the year 1998, Dr Subhadra Jalali was pivotal in establishing advanced ROP services. Currently, she is the director of LVPEI, who took an initiative to protect babies from going blind. Over the last 20 years, the LVPEI team has examined more than 20,900 babies and treated more than 16,100 eyes with state-of-the-art laser techniques and surgeries.
Efforts of Subhadra Jalali
The smallest baby treated was 550 grams and the tiniest baby to undergo a major surgery weighed 1100 grams. LVPEI through the efforts of Dr Jalali has played a key role in setting up one of the first city-wide ROP programs. It has been in the neonatal care units across the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Dr Tapas R Padhi is replicating a similar program at LVPEI’s campus at Odisha.
The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust will support the ROP program for the States of Telangana and Odisha, it was reported. In close collaboration with the Governments of Telangana and Odisha, since the past five years. LVPEI is one of the important partners for this program.
The Countess of Wessex interacted with the Pediatric and the ROP team of LVPEI and discussed the way forward. Senior representatives from the Public Health Foundation (PHFI), the partner agency for this program were also present.
Dr Jalali will take part in the key meetings to be hosted soon in the honor of the Countess of Wessex in Hyderabad and Delhi.
About L V Prasad Eye Institute
The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) was established in 1987 at Hyderabad as a not-for-profit, non-government, public-spirited, comprehensive eye care institution. LVPEI is governed by two trusts: the Hyderabad Eye Institute and the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation. The Institute is a World Health Organization’s Collaborating Center for Prevention of Blindness. Also a Global Resource Center for VISION 2020.
The Right to Sight initiative of the LVPEI has ten active arms to its areas of operations.
- Clinical Services
- Education
- Research
- Vision Rehabilitation
- Rural and Community Eye Health
- Eye Banking
- Advocacy and Policy Planning
- Capacity Building
- Innovation
- Product Development
The LVPEI pyramidal model of eye care delivery currently includes a Center of Excellence in Hyderabad. 3 Tertiary centers in Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. 19 Secondary and 180 primary care vision centers. These centers cover the remotest rural areas in the four states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka.
Khalid M Raza
