Nepal can be made destination for ophthalmic treatment: Speaker Ghimire

Kathmandu, March 27: Speaker Devraj Ghimire has said Nepal could be developed as the destination for eye treatment. Addressing a programme marking the 45th founding day of Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh here today, he suggested making the country as the destination for eye treatment through collaboration amongst the federal, provincial and local governments. The Speaker viewed that although the Sangh has played an active role in minimizing blindness in Nepal, enough attention was not given for its development and publicity.

“Ninety per cent of the eye treatment in Nepal is done through various organizations affiliated to the Netra Jyoti Sangh. However, the publicity and promotion of this has not been done as it warrants,” he said. Sangh’s general-secretary Bharat Bahadur Chand said that the Sangh has been providing free eye treatment services through its various programmes to the needy people unable to access the services. According to him, the Sangh has been providing its services by identifying the areas and populations most affected by blindness.

He added that the Sangh has carried out eye examination on 3 million 7,291 and provided free eye surgeries on 272 thousand 950 persons until 2022. General-secretary Chand said they are developing a strategic plan of the Sangh for the period 2023-2030. The Sangh was established in 2035 BS through the joint initiatives of Prof Dr Ram Prasad Pokharel ‘Aankha Baa’ and other social campaigners. It has been providing services through 27 eye hospitals, more than 150 eye treatment centres and 44 district branches.