Our Vision Goes Beyond Eyesight—It’s About a Brighter Future for Haryana: Health Minister Aarti Singh Rao

Statewide ‘Ujjwal Drishti Haryana’ Campaign Launched from Hisar to Provide Free Eyewear and Eye Care

Chandigarh, July 11 — Haryana Health Minister Aarti Singh Rao on Thursday inaugurated the state-level Ujjwal Drishti Haryana Abhiyan from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology in Hisar. The campaign, launched under the National Program for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment, aims to provide free spectacles to schoolchildren and near vision correction to citizens above 45 years of age.

Rao stated that the initiative is backed by a special budget from the state government and will distribute over 1.4 lakh pairs of spectacles through 22 district hospitals, 50 sub-divisional hospitals, and 122 community health centres. Describing it as the largest and most unique campaign of its kind in India, she added that approximately 21 lakh students across 14,267 government schools will undergo vision screenings. Among them, nearly 40,000 children identified with visual impairments will receive free spectacles.

The campaign also includes cataract screening for citizens above 50 years of age. If needed, patients will receive free surgical treatment in government or NGO-run hospitals.

“This is not just about restoring eyesight—it’s about illuminating Haryana’s future,” said Rao while addressing the public virtually from multiple districts participating in the campaign. She emphasized that Ujjwal Drishti Haryana is a holistic health and social welfare initiative, designed to create a self-reliant, equitable, and healthy society.

Highlighting the seriousness of visual impairment, she noted that refractive error is the second leading cause of blindness after cataracts and can lead to permanent loss of vision if untreated. The state’s intervention aims to serve as a model for the rest of India.

Rao also mentioned that Haryana is the only state offering ₹15,000 financial assistance for free corneal transplants conducted at private and NGO hospitals. Over 800 corneal transplants are performed in the state annually—setting a national benchmark. The state also operates 22 eye donation centres, and she appealed to citizens to come forward for eye donation, saying, “One donated eye can light up someone’s entire world.”

The Health Minister concluded by reaffirming the state’s commitment to strengthening healthcare through modern equipment, mobile medical units, and telemedicine services.