Cataracts blind 200,000 people

SURABAYA: At least 200,000 people in East Java have lost their eyesight due to cataracts, making it imperative to provide extensive eye disease prevention and treatment throughout the province, a senior health official said.

Dr. Adi Wirachman, head of East Java's Public Health Center for Eye Care (BKMM), said in Surabaya on Thursday his institution was actively engaged in the prevention and treatment of eye disorders among the middle and lower classes.

He said one of BKMM's activities was performing cataract operations as part of the center's new program of lens implants at reduced costs to prevent blindness.

"BKMM will later set up a new clinic as an eye trauma center and occupy two locations in Surabaya this year in the effort to provide public service over a wider area," Wirachman said. --JP