Kathmandu, January 14:

Neglect of timely and proper medical cure for a sensitive body part like the eye is contributing to a rise in the number of cases of blindness in Nepal.

In many parts of the country, lack of awareness and ignorance about any eye disease is still widespread where people take it as a curse of god or sin of previous birth, and very often, they turn to local shamans and spiritual healers for cure in such a situation instead of getting timely medical treatment in the hospital.

Every year, 36,000 new cases are being added while over three hundred thousand people are found to have suffered from eye diseases of one or the other sort.

This grim scenario is emerging despite the fact that progress has been made by the blindness eradication campaign launched by the Ministry of Health and the Nepal Netrajyoti Sangh some years ago at the initiative of the Sangh.

Chairman of the Nepal Netrajyoti Sangh and Eye Specialist Dr Ram Prasad Pokharel believes that the 16-bed section in Bir Hospital first started with 16 beds, has also made a big contribution in its eye treatment service over these years.