Blindness is curable say eminent opthalmologists

Hyderabad, Oct 12 (UNI) Virender S Sangwan and Anil K Mandal, two eminent opthalmologists who were recipients of the prestigious Santi Swaroop Bhatnagar Award today said 75 per cent of blindness was curable and urged people to take better care of their eyes.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion of 'World Sight Day' organised by the L V Prasad Eye Institute, the doctors said under the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Vision 2020 programme, blindness could be avoided to the extent of 75 per cent if proper care was taken.

Dr Mandal said during his 17 years experience in the L V Prasad Eye Institute, out of the cases that were surgically treated eye sight could be restored in 40 per cent cases. Of the remaining 60 per cent cases, in 30 per cent vision could be partially restored and in the remaining 30 per cent cases severe impairment remained.

He said while the first cause of blindness was cataract, the second cause was childhood blindness. Childhood blindness could be restored in most of the cases if the child was brought to a hospital at an early age, he added.

He said doctors of his hospital had performed surgery on children as young as two days.

Dr Sangwan said the L V Prasad Institute could penetrate into the rural areas where even the government could not set up a Primary Health Centre and conduct eye camps.

He said the Institute proposed to set up centres of research, learning and treatment in all the state capitals, with the help of NGOs and international organisations.

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