City walks to mark glaucoma week

Sunday morning saw a special walk by the residents of Gurgaon to spread awareness about Glaucoma, an eye disease causing gradual loss of sight.

Sunday morning saw a special walk by the residents of Gurgaon to spread awareness about Glaucoma, an eye disease causing gradual loss of sight.

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The disease usually develops after the age of 40, which may lead to blindness if not treated on time. Studies suggest that more than 90% of glaucoma cases in India remain undiagnosed.

The walk coincides with the World Glaucoma Week and was flagged off by veteran actor Farooq Sheikh and Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) administrator Praveen Kumar. The walk started from Kingdom of Dreams and ended at Max Hospital.

“Small measures like this go a long way in helping fight the disease,” Sheikh said.

Huda administrator Kumar, who himself is a homeopathy practitioner said, “There is little awareness about the disease. I appreciate the residents of the city for taking the cause forward.”

The walk was followed by free medical checkups for the participants.

More than 12 million people in India suffer from glaucoma, which is usually detected late. By the time a patient develops vision problem, it is too late and affects the optic nerve leading to vision loss,” said Dr Parul Sharma, glaucoma surgeon of Max Hospital, which conducted the walk in association with the Glaucoma Society of India.

“I didn’t even know what glaucoma was but thanks to this walk, I will be more careful about it,” said Shveta Kalra, a chartered accountant.

Members of the ‘Let’s Walk Gurgaon’, a group that organises morning walks for enthusiasts, joined on Sunday.