Much importance is given to cataract and eradication of cataract by timely diagnosis and surgery before it runs into numerous complications including pain and loss of vision. District Blindness Conrol Socities offer financial incentives for NGO's to conduct cataract surgers camps in rural and urban areas for the benefit of poorer section of the population. Eighty percent of avoidable blindness is due to cataract.

"Glaucoma" is another ocular disease,which leads to bilndness. There is a gradual progressive painless loss of vision,mainly due to elevated intraocular pressure causing damage to optic nerve. Educated urban population is aware of this disease,but rarely ever recognized as a cause of loss of vision among the urban and rural people due to ignorance of the disease.Due to absence of symptoms and painless slow progressive loss of vision in one eye, the presence of this blinding disease is rarely felt until the final stages when most of the vision is permanently lost. It is a disastrous condition as the loss of vision is permanent, total and irreversible and no treatment is effective at this late stage.

We have come across a good number of advanced glaucome cases while screeing in rural cataact surgery camps. At this stage, no treatment can be suggested and we have to tell the hard truth to the patient that he will have to remain blind for the rest of his life.

Glaucoma must be diagnosed at an early satge, by specific investigations conducted on the patients. After proper diagnosis, progress of the disease can be retarded with the use of medical/surgical treatment or both used judiciously.

For early diagnosis and treatment, we need the following equipments that can be carried to the rural Primary Health centres along with our cataract surgery equiment. Proper preventive treatment can be instituted after diagnosis, to avoid further loss of vision.

Equipment Required for Glaucoma diagnosis and treatment project:

1. Goldmann" s applanation tonometer       Rs 40,000

2. Perkins applanation tonometer           Rs 70,000

3. Automated Perimeter_ Humphrey           Rs 7,00,000

4. Non Contact Tonometer (Optional)           Rs 4,00,000