Universal Eye Health and Odisha budget

Budget is the most complicated subject, other than acts and laws in an administration. In the colonial period, there was no differentiation between central and state govt. But their influences are still replicated in the governance practices. Now blindness control programme is a victim of that blind replication in Odisha. It is difficult to get such a news from Odia media from the web, though the print media is purely off line and the so called e-papers are not searchable any more. So English media is only assurance to such exploration.

On 23 Feb 2018, state finance minister Sashibhusan Behera presented the state budget of 1 lac 20 thousand crore rupees in the budget session of state legislative assembly, where Universal Eye Care is a prominent subject with an allocation of 600 crores. Most probably that would be implemented by a handful of private organisations. Our media usually do post mortem to incidences and happenings, rather making expose-able reports. Even many a time, such reports remain confined as district level reports in a regional edition and do not reach at the state capital editions. This issue may be victim of such negligence practice of media to woo the erring administration.

Last year on 12 October 2017 World Sight Day, Govt of Odisha celebrated it with much pump and announce the state run Universal Eye Care project, as the first state in the country. Chief Minister, Health & FW Minister, departmental secretary, ophthalmologist, para medics, officials and legislatures had participated in the celebration. A walking rally was organised from Capital Hospital to Jayadev Bhawan. That has been taken shape in 2018-19 state budget. But the question is how will it be executed to reach the unreached. Because the believers and practitioners of Institutional Eye Health have been promoted as chairman of the mission for Universal Eye Health. Factually, most of visually challenged rural masses do not know the facilities available at urban centres. They need on Community Eye Care or Universal Eye Health programme in real terms. Community Eye Care means the eye hospital will reach out to remotest villages and hamlets. The service may rendered through camps or medical van. However it would cover all age groups for eye screening and further action. Such dedicated organisations are mostly NGOs, spreading across Odisha. They are also rendering services at no cost or low cost to identified persons of even poorest households. The matter at state level is different mostly in case of the budget, which is being just approved in legislative assembly without much questioning.

Some of the top bureaucrats who has noteworthy contributions and experience in community eye care, have not been consulted even during formulation of the project. Mr Girish S.N., IAS has introduced the Mission Netrotsav in 2005 during his period as DM cum Collector of Dhenkanal district. He has given his best effort to reachout the remotest pockets of Dhenkanal; where weavers, bidi workers, NTFP promary collectors, forest dwellers included to address their eye sight problems and to educate them for their proper eye care by themselves. Mr Girish has been felicitated by President of India for this noteworthy project. Similarly an IFS (Indian Forest Service) top official Dr Vinod Kumar has also handled a landmark innovative project during his career as PCCF (Principal Chief Conservator of Forests), Odisha. Later he posted as the Director of Indira Gandhi National Forestry Academy, Dehradun. During his period 2300 trained cadres promoted to serve in rural and tribal dominated areas to organise eye screening camps and provide eye care support to visually challenged persons. All these were possible through the active support of NGOs. In the third instance, Mr Niranjan Sahoo, IAS has done many noteworthy actions in the favour of eye care in Khurda district during his career as DM cum Collector there. Coincidentally he is a state level officer and serving at 3rd floor of the Odisha State Secretariat, where CM officiates. He had also taken help of NGOs to perform some notable actions to promote Eye Care for All. Most probably, he also has been skipped from the consultation by the budget formulation team. This is a shocking experience!

It is a clear indication of vote bank budget to divert funds in the name of a mega eye health programme, where unreached will remain unreachable. Probably state administration would present it as a promotional programme through mini marathon, padyatra, cycle rally, Facebook campaign, media campaign only. When Modi govt at centre is talking about a diabetes-free India, then Naveen govt in Odisha is planning to address a sure effect of diabetes through its annual budget. But there is big question mark that whether it would utilize the funds for real cause and real action to address the eye care issues of Odisha? Lord Jagannath should monitor the realities through his dark eyes!