India's Eye Care Crisis: AIIMS Survey Reveals Private Sector Dominance with Only 15% Government-Run Centers

Nov 10, 2025 07:48 pm CST

A groundbreaking AIIMS-led survey reveals that over 70% of India's eye care institutions are privately managed, while government facilities account for just 15.6%. This imbalance has created significant gaps in affordable eye care access, particularly concerning given India's 5 million blind and 34 million visually impaired citizens. The study highlights critical shortages of specialists, with just one ophthalmologist per 65,000 people, and severe regional disparities in service distribution.