The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued an advisory to the Centre, State governments and Union Territory administrations to prevent and minimise the impact of ocular trauma, which is responsible for around five percent of irreversible or permanent blindness in the country.
A statement issued by the Commission, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, noted that major contributors of eye injury were road accidents (34 percent), sports (29 percent) and occupations (21 percent). However, it added that eye injury was a preventable cause of blindness.
The Commission, asked the Centre, States and UTs to identify the industries having high potential of ocular trauma and other industrial accidents and make it mandatory for owners of all such industries employing minimum 50 workers to purchase personal accident cover of minimum Rs 15 lakh for each worker engaged by them.
It further recommended establishment of a special fund to provide financial assistance to the victims of ocular trauma.
The Commission focused on five key areas for action by the Centre, States and UT administrations, which included creation of a database on ocular trauma; prevention, minimisation and treatment of the disease; development of Integrated ophthalmic trauma units, and rehabilitation of OT victims.
The Advisory recommended establishment of an online (web-based) portal or making provision in any existing portal to record details of each case of ocular trauma; including the mechanism, circumstances and objects causing the disease.
It directed to make every single case of ocular trauma notifiable across the country with appropriate rule/regulation/guidelines to make it mandatory for each hospital or medical practitioner to upload details of each case of ocular trauma dealt by them.
It stressed on involving Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) workers and school teachers to identify the victims of ocular trauma, counsel them to avail treatment and upload their details on the online portal.
The Commission further directed to create public awareness on major causes of ocular trauma and the care and precautions to be taken to address these causes.
Regarding fire-crackers, the Advisory directed identification and ban on such firecrackers, which had the potential to cause eye trauma.
It further advocated ban on sale of bows, arrows, pellet guns, toys having sharp-edges and such other toys having potential to cause eye injuries.
The Commission told the Centre, States and UTs to examine the existing laws providing for mandatory use of eye safety gear by workers engaged in activities having potential to cause eye injuries.
It said eye check-up camps should be organised in schools, colleges, slums, industrial clusters and rural areas to detect cases of untreated ocular trauma.
Promotion of clean fuel and well-ventilated kitchen was another way to prevent eye damage in persons engaged in cooking at homes, restaurants and community kitchens, noted the Commission.
It said chemicals identified as hazardous should be regulated by dual packaging, while there should be restriction on sale of such chemicals to children and proper disposal of used chemicals and containers should be ensured.
The Advisory supported the prohibition of sale of lime powder in thin plastic sachets.
It said the packing of all domestic use chemicals should be made mandatory to be packed in safe containers marked with caution symbols.
As per the Commission, a technology should be introduced for reduction in ocular trauma cases due to road accidents.
It suggested upgrading and expanding the facilities for treatment of ocular trauma as a separate sub-specialty in Ophthalmology, besides increasing availability of Ophthalmologists with adequate number of equipment and other facilities.
As per the Advisory, a post of Ophthalmologist should be created in each Community Health Centre and the number of posts of Ophthalmologists in District Hospitals, Medical Colleges, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and other Specialty Health Care Centres should be increased.
Research in the field of ocular trauma should be sponsored to facilitate development of low cost eye care technologies, noted the Commission.
It said upgrading the eye/cornea banks by building awareness about eye donation and creating an online portal to register voluntary pledge for eye donation would help in prevention of the disease.
NHRC said integrated ophthalmic trauma care units should be set up across the country and young ophthalmologists should be trained in handling and managing ocular trauma cases.
The Advisory directed for rehabilitation of victims of ocular trauma by organising adjustment training for its victims and linking online portal to be established for registration of victims of ocular trauma with the Unique Disability ID (UDID).