17 lakh patients to get cataract surgery in Maharashtra by 2019

Over 30,000 cataract patients in Maharashtra have got the gift of clearer vision in the past eight days. State health officials, working to resolve a shortage of ophthalmologists, said that specialists are being trained on the job to meet the goal of cata

Over 30,000 cataract patients in Maharashtra have got the gift of clearer vision in the past eight days. State health officials, working to resolve a shortage of ophthalmologists, said that specialists are being trained on the job to meet the goal of cataract-free Maharashtra till 2019.

Dr Tatyarao Lahane, Joint Director of Directorate Medical Education and Research (DMER) said on average 17 lakh people in Maharashtra suffer from cataract, of which five lakh urgently need surgery. “In the last 12 months around 200 people in the state lost vision in both eyes, while close to 900 suffered blindness in one eye due to cataract due to lack of treatment,” added Dr Lahane.

Under the initiative launched by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, 17 lakh cataract pa- tients are likely to undergo cataract surgeries between December 2017 and July 2019.

Over 175 operation theatres, across the state, will perform surgeries with help of 350 ophthalmologists, working with state health department, municipal bodies and Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

Dr Lahane, head of the campaign, added that they have 155 ophthalmologists out of which 19 are such who have completed their specialisation but do not have much experience. “We are sending them to our 16 medical colleges where they will perform two to three surgeries every day to gain experience,” he said.

“It was absolutely shocking to find around five lakh people suffering from 'mature' cataract, which means they needed immediate treatment. Of these, 50,000 were found to be suffering from a very advanced stage of the ailment, mostly in both eyes,” he said.