Bausch and Lomb to introduce new machines for eye surgery

New Delhi, May 9 (UNI) Leading eye care product maker Bausch and Lomb today said they would launch in the country new machines and products for micro-surgery that would help particularly in cataract operations.

Called the intraocular lens and machines for micro incision surgery, the product will be available next month.

''We are planning to launch many innovative eye-care products in the country during this year,'' Bausch&Lomb (India) Managing Director J P Singh told UNI on the sidelines of the launch of its new disposable soft lenses priced at Rs 250.

With this launch, the company has embarked on an initiative of 'smart vision' particularly aimed at youth of the country and need for them to have their eye sight monitored at regular intervals, which at present is very low on their priority list.

The company is also planning to launch 'violet shield' contact lenses and stellaris vision enhancement machine.

The company currently enjoys 70 per cent market share in India and through this campaign it aims to expand market share, Mr Singh said.

Bausch&Lomb's current annual turnover is 2.2 billion dollar out of which India's contribution is 14 to 15 million, he added.

When asked about the declining sales globally, Mr singh said though the global sales registered a drop in the last fiscal the company was able to maintain a steady growth of 18 to 19 per cent in the country.

About the negative publicity gained by ReNu with MoistureLoc (an eye care product) which had adversly affected the sales in the country Mr Singh said, ''As a responsible corporate house we moved the product out of market as soon as we received complaints about the product and it has in no way affected markets in India.'' Moreover, the company has entered in collaboration wih some of the leading retail outlets for doing eye-screening programmes in shopping malls.

This invole setting up of eye kiosks having latest screening equipments like autofractometer and lensometer.

UNI