NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Indian government has planned a health scheme that causes an economic loss of more than $121 billion every year. Highly placed government sources told Sputnik that under a five year targeted health plan 78 million people will receive cataract surgeries with the help of non-government organizations, government hospitals and private hospitals.

Large numbers of Indians avoid cataract surgeries which cost more than $121 billion annually to Indian economy, according to an extensive economic analysis conducted in 2015. Under the plan, Indian government will provide financial assistance to the organizations which conduct surgeries and also other costs involve in the processes. In first two years 23 million people will be covered under the scheme while rest in subsequent three years.

India had launched National Program for Control of Blindness four decades back in 1976 as a 100% with the goal to reduce the prevalence of blindness from 1.4% to 0.3% but failed to reduce below 1.1% at the end of 12th five year plan (2012-17). Government figures show that cataract is responsible for 62% cases of blindness in India.

Government conducts only 4 million cataract surgeries while private sectors conduct more than 20 million at inflated cost in last three years. This sustained failure in attaining the desired result has forced government to consider scheme with new vigor.