Chandigarh: The Haryana government has launched two new schemes to improve the health of school going children in the state on the occasion of Republic Day, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said.

These schemes are the "Indira Bal Swasthya Yojana" (IBSY) and the "Nehru Drishti Yojana" (NDY).

"IBSY is a novel concept to provide preventive and curative health care to all children up to 18 years of age," Hooda said, adding it would be implemented in four phases and it would cover more than 40 lakh school children.

"School teachers would be trained to screen children for any nutritional deficiency or disease. They would also maintain health record of all children."

The NDY is aimed at controlling blindness among children.

"Presently the state requires about 3,200 corneas whereas only about half of this requirement is being met. New eye collection centres will be established in the state under NDY," Hooda said.

He said this scheme will help all those patients who are suffering from blindness due to unavailability of corneas and fill the gap in demand and supply. IANS