New Delhi, March 13 Rajya Sabha Congress member Mukul Balkrishna Wasnik highlighted the problems faced by people suffering from corneal blindness on Friday, stating that India requires an estimated 2 lakh eye donations annually to clear the current backlog and treat new cases.
The senior Congress member also urged the government to provide universal coverage for children requiring cochlear implants or advanced hearing aids.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the House, Wasnik said that of the total blind population in India, 1.2-1.5 million specifically suffer from corneal blindness, which is the only type that can be reversed through eye donation.
"Roughly 25,000 to 30,000 new cases of corneal blindness are added every year. The current annual eye collection in India is approximately 25,000 to 30,000. However, not all donated eyes are suitable for transplantation. Approximately only 60 to 70 per cent are used for surgery," he said.
The Congress MP emphasised that India requires an estimated 2 lakh eye donations annually to effectively clear the current backlog and address new cases.
He further said that while India has the largest number of eye banks globally, collection and utilization remain concentrated in a few high-performing centres.
The main obstacles in achieving donation targets include a lack of awareness, family objections, and socio-cultural myths.
"I urge the government to give high priority to resolving these obstacles," he said.
Wasnik further said that an estimated 10,00,000 children require cochlear implant surgery or advanced hearing aids, and every year, about 35,000 new cases are identified.
Despite the high demand, he said that the current provision through government schemes is limited, creating a significant gap between the annual requirement and the number of surgeries actually performed.
While the government scheme currently provides a subsidy of up to Rs 7 lakh for children, the actual average out-of-pocket expenditure for surgery, the device, immediate post-operative care, and speech therapy often far exceeds this amount, he said.
He also recalled that the government, while replying to his unstarred question dated March 11, 2026, had stated that under the Assistance to Persons with Disabilities for Purchase/Fitting of Aids/Appliances (ADIP) Scheme, the number of beneficiaries covered in the last five years was 3,809, and the amount spent was about Rs 164 crore.
He said that lakhs of children have been left out of the benefit of the ADIP scheme.
"I urge the government to provide for a scheme that will have universal coverage, provide financial assistance that will reflect the current market cost, and provide dedicated funding for long-term maintenance and accelerate indigenous development of the implant system to reduce import dependency," Wasnik said.