Polio foundation’s project to fight infants blindness

As part of its silver jubilee celebrations, Polio Foundation will soon launch a special project -Retinopathy of Prematurity in Neonates (ROP) - for Gujarat. ROP is a potentially blinding disease that affects premature infants. As part of the project, a team from the foundation will visit various Neo-natal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) of hospitals to screen premature babies for the condition. Once identified, it will also help babies get required surgery. The Rs1.25 crore project is the first of its kind in Gujarat and second in the country.

Dr Mehul Shah, managing trustee, of the foundation said that at present a team is in Bangalore getting the required training for the same. Another project aimed at helping detection and management of diabetic retinopathy is also in the offing. As part of its silver jubilee, the foundation has also organised a musical night that will have performance by Ghazal singer Manhar Udhas.

Chairman of the foundation Dr Bharat Bhagat talked about the various achievements of the foundation including the work done by the rehabilitation centre for cerebral palsied children in the year 2000. The foundation has been working to prevent blindness in diabetics and has been performing cornea grafting surgery for free.

The foundation was set up with the objective to help physically handicapped children by way of corrective surgery and to provide them with necessary equipment to help them walk again.