Program to assist visually handicapped

Priyanka Kurugala

There are about 150,000 eye patients in the country. Among them 69,000 are completely blind, Social Service Minister Felix Perera said.

The Government has launched a massive program for the welfare of the blind. The Government on its own cannot implement the program.

Therefore the Ministry has planned to get the support of other organizations to make this program a reality.

“I decided to offer my Parliamentary salary for the welfare of the visually handicapped,” he noted.

The Ministry expects to provide security for these people by providing them with their due rights and making the society aware of the visually handicapped.

Everybody should think that the visually handicapped people are part of our community and they are not disabled people, he said.