Rs. 12.42 m grant to prevent blindness

Indian Embassy and the Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a grant of NPR 12.42 million  to NNJS
to prevent blindness .

A press statement issued by the Indian Embassy said the grant  would be used for conducting 10,000 cataract and 1,200 Trachomatous Trichiasis (TT) surgeries during 2007-08 through eye hospitals and eye care centres run by the NNJS across the country.

"Blindness due to cataract is a major problem in Nepal and there are about 320,000 blind people in Nepal, of which some 129,000 suffered from cataract," said the statement.

It further added, "Trachoma is the second leading cause of preventable blindness in Nepal, with 29, out of 75 districts, affected by the ailment."

According to the MoU, India will provide assistant of NPR 12.42 million to NNJS in the current fiscal year to cover 50 per cent of the estimated cost of conducting 10,000 cataract surgeries and 1,200 trachoma surgeries.

The remaining half of the expenditure will be managed by NNJS from its own resources.

NNJS runs 12 eye hospitals and 34 eye-care centers across the country.

Since 2001, India has been providing assistance to NNJS for cataract surgeries in Nepal.