NEW DELHI, Oct 21:
India is home to the world’s largest number of people afflicted by blindness, the deepest curse on mankind, even as global efforts to tackle the dreaded disease increase.
Latest statistics show that of the 37 million blind people across the globe, more than 15 million are from India.
What is worse, 75 per cent of these are cases of avoidable blindness, regrettably due to the country’s acute shortage of optometrists and donated eyes for the treatment of corneal blindness, the main cause of blindness. .
Experts say that while India has only 8,000 while it requires 40,000 optometrists.
On the international front efforts, are proceeding at a phenomenal pace to eliminate the most painful form of existence of mankind, with lavish contributions by sportspersons and many charities spread throughout the length and breadth of the globe putting in their monies to do whatever they can to eliminate it.
But the sad fact is that these desperate attempts at elimination are bearing no fruit. (UNI)