As much as technology and modernisation have made our lives easier, equally have theygiven rise to lifestyle diseases.Particularly, as a result of the increased exposure of our eyes to various screens – laptops, phones, etc. – there has been an explosion of cases needing specialised care. Fortunately, a number of top ophthalmology hospitals in India are more than adequately equipped to handle this influx of patients. These hospitals employ advanced medical facilities and highly skilled staff to provide complete and thorough care to the patients – from accurately identifying the causes and containing the risk factors to preventing further complications. Not only is India equipped to handle its domestic patients, being globally recognised as the hub for the very best hospitals for ophthalmology treatment, the country sees a steady influx of tourists from United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, etc., for a number of issues ranging from cataract surgery to squint surgery.
Greater health awareness coupled with ease of access to corresponding healthcare services have contributed to the growth of the Indian healthcare industry, with the sector expected to grow to US$ 280 billion by 2020. It is important to note that as much as globalisation and the increase in international tourism have contributed to the exponential growth of this sector, there have also been several notable domestic factors that have contributed to this growth.
• An increase in urbanisation have also contributed to an increase in problems associated with modern living. This, in turn, has led to a shift from communicable diseases to lifestyle diseases. The demand for specialised care for the diagnosis and treatments of eye disorders have also contributed to the growth of the sector.
• Ophthalmology hospitals and clinics in India offer complex procedures at an incredibly affordable rate. While a bilateral cataract surgery procedure can cost more than US $7,000 in the United Kingdom,the same procedure could be done under US$ 3,000-4,000 in India. It is important to note that the low cost of these services does not mean low quality of services. Healthcare is cheap in India as compared to other “western”/”developed” countries because of lower labour costs. A large population means a large batch of readily available pool of labour – doctors, nurses, janitors, etc – and this brings down the cost per head per hour, especially when compared to the West. Further, low labour costs bring down the taxation on the same since the two are directly correlated.
• Investments from the private sector into the healthcare industry in general but in the Ophthalmology, Optometry, and Orthopticssector of that industry in particular has also grown over the years. Many big players such as Apollo, Fortis, etc. are setting up specialised centres for eye care across the country. Since it’s the capital, setting up the best eye care hospital in Delhi is priority for both the public and private sector.
In a country where nearly 15 million of the 1.27 billion people are blind, mostly due to cataract, one of the most easily treatable causes of blindness and low vision, setting up proper centers for the care and treatment of these ailments, along with creating an adequate number of physicians with expertise to tackle the challenges presented by a growing economy, has been a high priority for the government. With the help of the World Bank, Indialaunched the Cataract Blindness Control Project (CBCP) in 1994 to improve the quality of cataract surgery and expand the coverage of tribal and isolated areas for blindness prevention, education and treatment.Meanwhile, recognising the incredible potential of growth and business, the private stakeholders have more than doubled their investments in setting up the infrastructure to make the most of the market.
With consistent efforts by the government to strengthen the domestic infrastructure and incredible growth opportunities across different segments supported by increasing awareness and changing lifestyles, India is set to become a global hub for eye care in the coming years.
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