Himalaya Eye Hospital
Blindness is still a sever public health problem in Nepal. Almost 8 in every one thousand people are blind even now in Nepal. The national eye survey conducted in 1981 has revealed a fact that more than 16 people in every one hundred had some sort of ocular disorders and almost in one hundred had some degree of cataract in their eyes. 80% of total blindness was avoidable either preventable or curable. The major causes of blindness were Cataract, Trachoma Glaucoma, and Corneal Diseases etc.
Due to almost non-existence of eye care service, the situation of blindness was even more vulnerable in hilly and remote areas. It is therefore, Himalaya Eye Hospital (HEH) was established in 1993 with the prime objective of providing comprehensive eye care service to the people residing in Gandaki, Dhaulagiri and Karnali zones. HEH provides eye care services through its base hospital and community based activities that are conducted through out the year to serve those who can’t come to hospital on their own. A total of more than 120000 patients got examination service and more than 6000 patients get surgical service from the activities of HEH annually. It has 50 bed capacity.
The service area of HEH i.e. Gandaki, Dhaulagiri and Karnali has a population of almost three millions, which accounts more than 10% percent of total population in the country. Similarly, area wise these three zones cover more than 25% total land area of the country. The hospital is also involved in carrying out community based activities and different sort of training programs.