Most of the cases of near vision problems were found in the age group of 36 to 50 years. Interestingly, 45% of all cases of distance vision problems were found in the youngest age group of 18-35 years.
It is a known fact that a large number of accidents on Indian roads occur due to vision related problems of drivers. Most of the truck drivers tested did not realize they had compromised vision and had never had an eye exam. This left them prone to accidents.
There are 9 million truckers on Indian roads. Extrapolating from the data from the field study, the researchers can assume that half of them would have vision problems. They would have been deemed unfit to drive without proper glasses and eye exams if they had been in any Western country.
Advertisement
By evaluating and researching truck drivers, they found that they mostly suffered from refractive errors. In partnership with partner Sightsavers, the doctors provided drivers with ready-to-wear (R2C) glasses and dispensed glasses on the spot.
For those with complex refractive errors, the glasses were customized and delivered to them at the next stop on their road trip. Using various technological tools and applications, they ensured that they would wear glasses on the roads while driving.
The disorganized nature of truckers discourages them from taking their health problems seriously. Most of them come from rural areas without facilities for preventive or curative eye check-ups. As a result, they have never been tested for glasses or eye diseases.
Most truck drivers tend to develop dry eyes and chronic allergic eye conditions due to long working hours and inadequate hygiene. Many drivers over the age of 60 also suffer from cataracts or glaucoma. Therefore, a routine eye check should be mandatory for all truck drivers.
With the safety of travelers on the roads in mind, Sightsavers India, an NGO working in the field of sight restoration and vision loss, started the RAAHI – National Truck Drivers Eye Health Program in 2017, in partnership with Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd.
ICARE Eye Hospital joined the initiative in 2018 and has since screened 34,000 truckers for eye diseases and refractive errors. Twenty days a month, a team of hospital ophthalmologists visit Delhi-NCR trucking hubs, where most truckers stop for a rest, to administer an eye check-up.
The program seeks to ensure that truckers with refractive errors receive glasses in the most convenient way possible, wear them consistently, and have regular eye exams.
=============
Source: Medium
