New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday issued an advisory to Centre and various states to prevent and minimize the impact of ocular trauma and to ensure appropriate standardized treatment and rehabilitation of its victims.
Ocular trauma causes about five percent of irreversible or permanent blindness.
The NHRC, headed by justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra, has issued an advisory to the Centre, states and Union Territory administrations “to prevent and minimise the impact of ocular trauma and to ensure appropriate standardised treatment and rehabilitation of victims of ocular trauma, which causes about five percent of irreversible or permanent blindness,” NHRC said in a statement.
The Commission, among several important recommendations, has called for identification of industries having high potential of ocular trauma and other industrial accidents and make it mandatory for owners of all such industries employing minimum fifty (50) workers to purchase personal accident cover of minimum Rs 15 lakh for each workers engaged by them, the statement said.
Establishment of a special fund has also been recommended to provide financial assistance to victims of ocular trauma.
Its advisory has focused on five key areas for action by the Centre, States and UT Administrations. These include creation of a database on ocular trauma, prevention and minimization of ocular trauma, treatment of ocular trauma, development of integrated ophthalmic trauma units and rehabilitation of victims of ocular trauma.
The NHRC said that the Commission has observed that major contributors of eye injury are road accidents (34 per cent), sports (29 per cent) and occupations (21 per cent). However, the most reassuring fact is that eye injury is a preventable cause of blindness.
