- Sunday, 14 June 2026
Kathmandu, June 14: Despite people’s increased access to eye treatment, the risk of blindness still remains a significant concern in Nepal, specialists have warned.
Due to rise in average life expectancy, hypertensive and diabetic cases, the number of population with eye issues has increased, with slight decline in blindness rates, according to the eye specialists who put forth their views at the 30th convention of the Nepal Netrajyoti Sangh.
On the occasion, it was shared that over 3.37 million people underwent eye checkups through Netrajyoti’s hospitals, treatment centres and various outreach programmes in 2025 while 2,66,401 cases of surgery were recorded during the period. Inaugurating the event, Koshi Province Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Sirjana Danuwar urged the Sangh to further expand its services mainly to rural areas, acknowledging its ‘trusted’ eye care services.
Prof Dr Dev Narayan Shah said Nepal still faces a considerable risk for blindness though citizen’s access to eye care facilities was growing.
On the occasion, Sangh’s founding gender secretary Pro Dr Ram Prasad Pokhrel was honoured with the ‘Dr Nanda Shrestha- Ambika Shrestha Netrajyoti Social Honour’ in recognition of his contribution to evolution, expansion and development of eye care facilities in Nepal.
Likewise, the Resugna Municipality, Gorkha Municipality, Pro Dr Shah, Pro Dr Raghunandan Byanju, Lions Club of International Multiple Council 325, Sanjay Khetan, Krishnahari Sapkota and Japanese citizens Prof Dr Takeshi Naito and Dr Junsuke Akura were awarded with the ‘Netra Jyoti Special Honour’.
Likewise, the Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred on Shyam Kumar Pokhrel, Chakra Bahadur Singh, Shyam Sundar Udas, Padam Narayan Chaudhary, Pro Dr Dil Bahadur Chhetri, Bamdev Khanal, Netramani Lamichhane and Mayadevi Bajracharya.
Sankhuwasabha was awarded as the best chapter of Netrajyoti, Biratnagar Eye Hospital received the ‘Netrajyoti Excellent Eye Hospital Award’, the Kaligandaki Eye Treatment Centre received the ‘Netrajyoti Excellent Eye Treatment Center Award’. Dr Pushpa Giri was conferred on the ‘Dr Nicole Grace Honour’.
Similarly, the ‘Netrajyoti ‘Honour’ was presented to Bindu Sagar Rajbhandari, Shailendraman Singh, Kumar Prithu, Shalikram Gautam, Meena Rai and Dev Bahadur Budha Chhetri. —-
