NEW DELHI : The Union Health Ministry is planning a special campaign for removing the backlog of cataract surgeries for blindness and severe visual impairment in the next three years.
According to the health ministry, the number of surgeries required to clear backlog of blindness due to cataract is 49 lakhs, said Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare on Monday. “The number of surgeries required to clear backlog of blindness due to cataract is 49 lakhs, while the number of surgeries required to clear the backlog of severe visual impairment due to cataracts 53.63 lakhs and for blindness and severe impairment is approximately 103 lakhs.
This will be done under national Programe for Control of Blindness and Visual impairment (NPCB VI," said the health minister. “The union health ministry aims to identity and treat blindness cases in India.
Hence, the government proposed to increase the number of cataract surgeries to be carried out in the FY 2022 to 2023–75 lakh, FY 2023 to 2024–90 lakhs and FY 2024 to 25, 105 lakhs, amounts to a total of 2.70 crore of surgeries in next three years," said Mandaviya adding that the total of these three category patients will be 164.22 lakhs over the next three financial years.