Health ministry’s program to involve more people with cataract
01.09.2017,
10:26
Armenian health ministry has developed a new cataract surgery program that will involve not only socially unsecured citizens.
YEREVAN, September 1. /ARKA/. Armenian health ministry has developed a new cataract surgery program that will involve not only socially unsecured citizens. The ministry said in a press release that the operations will be carried out to prevent cataract-caused complications, as well as to restore the ability of patents to work and socialize.
The program’s beneficiaries will be citizens aged 60 and over, as well as teachers, health workers, employees of state institutions who are not entitled to social security package. The official website of the ministry of health will publish the list of those standing in line for the operation.
A related pilot program has already started in Lori and Gegharkunik regions, where 130 operations have already been carried out. In order to prevent blindness inYerevan and in a number of regions, additional 3000 operations will be carried out, the ministry said.
Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people over age 40 and is the principal cause of blindness in the world (51% of cases). The incidence of cataract in Armenia in recent years has increased about 4 times. Annually about 8 thousand citizens for the first time in their life are diagnosed with cataract and 1,300 of them are operated free of charge. In total, about 5,300 cataract operations are carried out annually in Armenia. -0--
The program’s beneficiaries will be citizens aged 60 and over, as well as teachers, health workers, employees of state institutions who are not entitled to social security package. The official website of the ministry of health will publish the list of those standing in line for the operation.
A related pilot program has already started in Lori and Gegharkunik regions, where 130 operations have already been carried out. In order to prevent blindness inYerevan and in a number of regions, additional 3000 operations will be carried out, the ministry said.
Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people over age 40 and is the principal cause of blindness in the world (51% of cases). The incidence of cataract in Armenia in recent years has increased about 4 times. Annually about 8 thousand citizens for the first time in their life are diagnosed with cataract and 1,300 of them are operated free of charge. In total, about 5,300 cataract operations are carried out annually in Armenia. -0--
