ANNUAL HEALTH BULLETIN 2004 - Ministry of Health

Besides the routine curative care, ophthalmologists in the national referral hospital are
involved in training of ophthalmic assistants. Organizing mobile eye camps and other
community ophthalmic outreach clinics, conducting school eye health and refresher
course for health workers are their additional responsibilities.
No blindness survey has been conducted in Bhutan and hence magnitude of the problem
has stili not been ascertained. However, as per WHO estimate, prevalence of blindness
in Bhutan is estimated at 0.8% and cataract is still the leading cause of preventable
blindness. Corneal blindness due to eye infections following trauma and refractive
errors are also common especially in the younger population.
General: To prevl!/It and control major avoidable blindness, and to make essential
eye care available to all.
Specific objectives:
1. To provide primary eye care services to the whole country
2. To ensure availability and accessibility to effective eye care through referral and
rrW>bileye services to all that are in need.
3. To raise eye health status of the population by reducing ocular morbidity and
blindness through IEe, improved referral system, mobile and outreach clinics.
Strategies and activities
1. Human Resource Development
• Training of national ophthalmologists and technicians in country, m the
region and beyond
• Training of other relevant health personnel in basic eye care
• Training ofVHWs and community leaders in basic eye care
• Appropriate ophthalmic equipments and instruments will be procured and
supplied to health centers
• Provision of refraction services and supply of low cost spectacles to school
children and community regularly and during eye camps.
• Through regular eye camps, this will target the un-reached population with
particular emphasis on improving cataract surgical rate and health education
• Through provision of instruments, equipments and other supplies as
appropriate for out reach services
• Through provision of eye health education in schools in collaboration with
comprehensive school health program and to the community through VHW s
• Development and distribution of me materials, manuals and guidelines