Chennai: Tamil Nadu has always been a forerunner in ophthalmology with many premier eye institutes training aspiring ophthalmologists in advanced skills and technology, besides providing world-class treatment for the patients, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami said here Saturday.
Inaugurating the 34th edition of the annual conference of 'Intraocular Implant and Refractive Society of India' (IIRSI) here, he said such events play significant role in enhancing skills of eye surgeons so they could handle the challenges posed by the increased prevalence of eye disorders, cornea diseases, people with visual impairment and those requiring vision correction.
"There are 12 million blind people and 450 million people requiring vision correction in the country. Conferences like the IIRSI play a very important role in enhancing the skills of Indian eye surgeons to address this huge challenge", the CM said.
Dr Amar Agarwal, Secretary General, IIRSI, and Chairman of Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital, said 20 top eye surgeons from various countries, including the U.S.A., and Germany, were participating in the meet to showcase the latest advancements in eye care.
Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said eye care infrastructure in Tamil Nadu is world-class and offered quality treatment at an affordable cost. "I hope the state emerges among the top destinations in the world for medical tourism for patients suffering from complex eye disorders," he said.
IIRSI 2019 has several features like the "Meet and Greet" programme, allowing attendees to sit at a faculty member's table for exclusive discussion, according to the organisers.
The two-day event will conclude on Sunday.
— (With PTI report)
