Kathmandu, March 6 Nepal Eye Hospital, which has been running Satellite Eye Care Centre in four places of Kathmandu valley, has said it will take more than five years for Kathmandu valley to be declared avoidable blindness-free. During a strategic planning workshop organised here yesterday by Nepal Eye Hospital and Operation Eyesight Universal to discuss and formulate 10-year strategic plan of the Hospital, NEH revealed that it would take more than five years for Kathmandu valley to be declared avoidable blindness-free. Chief Executive Officer of NEH Daman Bahadur Ghale said lack of awareness and lack of access to health services in rural parts of valley were the main reasons why the valley could not be declared avoidable blindness-free soon. “Moreover, it will take a lot of time to screen each people in the valley through the satellite eye care centre.” The hospital has already declared 20 communities of Khokana and Thankot as avoidable blindness-free. “Nepal Eye Hospital needs to be more conscious about providing quality eye services,” shared Kashinath Bhodsnurmath, vice president of international programme, Operation Eyesight Universal. Bhodsnurmath shared that the hospital needed to focus on sustainable programmes for eliminating preventable blindness in Nepal and expand services to the grassroots. Bishwo Kanta Mainali, chairman of the hospital, said after completion of the three-day workshop on strategic planning, they would draft a plan to upgrade the hospital. “We are planning to conduct research on eye problems caused due to pollution among people in Kathmandu valley. The hospital has been conducting 30 surgeries and providing out-patient department services to nearly 500 people a day.