A nationwide survey by AIIMS, Delhi, has revealed a significant shortage and uneven distribution of eye-care professionals across India. The study found that the country has just one ophthalmologist for every 65,221 people, far below the Vision 2020 target of 25,000 ophthalmologists and 48,000 hospital-based paramedics needed to eliminate avoidable blindness. Currently, India has 20,944 ophthalmologists and 17,849 optometrists working at secondary and tertiary levels.
The study, led by Professor Praveen Vashist from the Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences at AIIMS, assessed existing human resources and infrastructure in secondary and tertiary eye-care institutes and compared them with Vision 2020 benchmarks. Among 8,790 eyecare institutions contacted, 7,901 participated (89.9% response rate).
The findings highlight stark regional inequalities. Southern and Western states showed better availability of eye-care services, while Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal faced acute shortages. Nationally, the eye institute population ratio stands at 1 per 1,64,536 people, with Delhi NCR having the highest concentration of facilities. Nearly 70.6% of eye institutes operate in the private sector, followed by the public (15.6%) and NGO sectors (13.8%).
The optometrist-to-ophthalmologist ratio is 0.85, indicating that India has fewer than one optometrist for every ophthalmologist. This ratio ranges widely—from 8.33 in Andaman & Nicobar Islands to 0.45 in Delhi. The number of ophthalmologists per million population varies dramatically, from 127 in Puducherry to just 2 in Ladakh.
Infrastructure gaps persist as well. Only 40.5% of institutes offer 24-hour eye emergency care, while 5.7% have an eye bank with tissue processing. Private institutes dominate in advanced services such as refractive surgery, low-vision care, and sub-specialities.
Published in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, the study stresses the urgent need for stronger health workforce planning, better data systems, and targeted investment to ensure equitable access to quality eye care across India.
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