NEW DELHI: India conducts nearly 65 lakh cataract removal surgeries every year under the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI). During 2020-21, when the Covid pandemic was raging, the number of these procedures conducted under the government programme went down by nearly 50% with only 35.5 lakh surgeries being done. In 2021-22 also, data shows, the number of surgeries conducted was well below 65 lakh.
To overcome this, the health ministry said on Thursday, they ran a special campaign in 2022-23. “With the efforts of healthcare workers and the NPCBVI team, more than 83.4 lakh successful cataract surgeries have been carried out in 2022-23 which is a record,” officials said.