Of the one and half million blind children in the world, around 2.7 lakh children live in India alone.  And, like most developing countries even in India ‘Paediatric Glaucoma’ a disease is striking the young eyes.

‘Paediatric Glaucoma’ is a condition where the pressures inside the eyes are high and cause progressive nerve damage leading to permanent blindness and this disease which has to be diagnosed very early and be aggressively treated to prevent blindness in children.

In order to address the threat of ‘Paediatric Glaucoma’ which is looming large among children in India, a faculty from the Orbis International visited ‘Bangalore West Lions Superspeciality Eye Hospital’ and held discussions about the various surgical advances happening worldwide in the management of Paediatric Glaucoma.

Renowned Glaucoma Specialist, Dr Gordon Douglas who was part of the faculty said,  in India about 80 per cent of eye diseases are preventable and more awareness among parents especially in the rural areas is necessary.
“Children suffering from Paediatric Glaucoma develop large eyes which lead to severe watering and also cause inability to see bright lights. These are the symptoms of this disease and is preventable with proper diagnosis,” he said.

Seven surgeries were performed on children suffering from the disease between December 10 and 14, sources said.

Bangalore West Lions Superspecality Eye Hospital has also established the ‘Makkala Nethra Jyothi Project’ in association with Orbis in five districts across the State to screen children and give relief to those suffering from various eye disorders.

Call  22235005, 22237628 and 22121253.