Voluntary organisations’ active cooperation needed to prevent blindness

Bhopal: President Shri Pranab Mukherjee has urged voluntary organisations to become active partners in government efforts to prevent blindness. The President was inaugurating Shankaracharya Eye Hospital set up by Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati Charitable Trust at Jhoteshwar in Narsinghpur district today.
Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, Governor Shri Ram Naresh Yadav, Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, former CM Shri Digvijay Singh and Health Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra were present on the occasion.
The President said that 20 percent of world’s 3 crore 90 lakh sight-impaired people live in India. Eyes have been described in religious scriptures as the most important sense. Mention of eyes, eyesores and their treatment has also been made in Sushrut Samhita. World Health Organisation has chalked out a time-bound plan for blindness eradication. Blindness Eradication Programme is underway in India since year 1976.
The President said that efforts should be made to benefit maximum number of people by linking super speciality medical science institutes with tele-medicine system. He said that needy persons from rural areas will be facilitated a lot by this eye hospital.
Governor Shri Ram Naresh Yadav described the eye hospital as an unparalleled gift for rural areas. He also expressed gratitude towards Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati for establishment of the eye hospital.
Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that establishment of the eye hospital at Jhoteshwar is the real initiative for serving the suffering humanity. He assured to extend every possible cooperation in running the hospital on behalf of the State Government.
Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati stressed the need for removing imbalance of wealth in society saying that every person should contribute one-fifth of his income to philanthropic works. He stressed the need for renovation and preservation of Sankalghat cave of Adi Shankaracharya’s guru Govind Padacharya at Hirapur.
Worship at Tripur Sundari Mandir: At Jhoteshwar, President Shri Pranab Mukherjee offered worship at Raj Rajeshwari Tripur Sundari Mandir. He was accompanied by Governor Shri Ram Naresh Yadav and Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Chief seer and chief priest of the temple conducted the worship rituals. Former CM Shri Digvijay Singh, former Union Minister Shri Suresh Pachouri, MLAs Shri N.P. Prajapati and Smt. Sadhna Sthapak were also present on the occasion.
Earlier, the President was welcomed on his arrival at Jabalpur airport by Vidhan Sabha Speaker Shri Ishwardas Rohani, Animal Husbandry Minister Shri Ajay Vishnoi, Mayor Shri Prabhat Sahu, MLA Shri Lakhan Dhandhoriya and senior officers