Rs 12.4 m Indian grant to prevent blindness

Kathmandu, July 30:

Indian Embassy and the Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) today signed a memorandum of understanding to providing cooperation grant of NPR 12.42 million to NNJS.

A press statement issued here today by the Embassy of India 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.

It said, “Blindness due to cataract is a major problem in Nepal and there are some 129,000 suffering from cataract.”

“Trachoma is the second leading cause of preventable blindness in Nepal, with 29, out of 75 districts, affected by the ailment,” it said.