A landmark national survey by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has revealed that India’s eye care system is overwhelmingly dependent on private providers, leaving large sections of the population without affordable or comprehensive services.
Largest Mapping of Eye-Care Infrastructure
The Human Resources and Infrastructure for Ophthalmic Services in India survey, conducted in 2020–21 and published in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology (November 2025), was led by Dr. Praveen Vashist, Professor and Head of Community Ophthalmology at AIIMS. Conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS), and Vision 2020 India, it represents the most extensive mapping of India’s eye-care workforce and facilities.
The online survey covered nearly 8,000 institutions, generating the largest-ever national database on ophthalmic resources.
Private Sector Leads Eye-Care Delivery
The findings show that over 70% of all eye-care institutions in India are privately run, while government and NGO sectors together account for less than 30%. This imbalance, experts warn, has made quality eye care highly dependent on the patient’s ability to pay.
Only 40% of institutions offer emergency eye care, fewer than 6% have eye banks, and less than a third provide low-vision rehabilitation services.
“Private centres are performing the majority of surgeries — nearly 60% of cataract and 90% of refractive-error corrections,” said Dr. Vashist. “Government hospitals handle only 40% and 10%, respectively. This skew severely affects equitable access, especially in rural and low-income areas.”
Workforce Shortages and Regional Imbalance
India currently has 20,944 ophthalmologists — roughly one for every 65,000 people — and 17,856 optometrists or ophthalmic technicians, both figures falling short of Vision 2020 targets. On average, the country has just 15 ophthalmologists and 74 eye beds per million population.
Regional disparities worsen the situation. Delhi, Maharashtra, Goa, and Tamil Nadu meet or exceed specialist requirements. However, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and West Bengal face acute shortages. Uttar Pradesh alone requires 2,464 additional ophthalmologists.
“The problem is not just the shortage in numbers but also their uneven distribution,” explained Dr. Vashist. “Eye care remains heavily concentrated in certain regions, leaving millions without timely treatment.”
Strengthening Primary Eye Care in Delhi
Dr. Vashist emphasized the need to upgrade basic infrastructure in Delhi as well. “Most Delhi government dispensaries have medical officers but no ophthalmic technicians. Each dispensary should have at least one,” he said.
The RP Centre at AIIMS currently runs 27 primary eye-care or ‘vision centres’, 25 of them across Delhi. “We plan to expand this to 250 centres. A meeting with state and district programme officers has been scheduled to discuss scaling up primary eye-care coverage,” he added.
Limited Access to Advanced Subspecialties
As reported by TOI, the survey also found that while cataract and glaucoma services are widely available — offered by 91.5% and 71.5% of institutions respectively — advanced subspecialties such as vitreoretinal surgery, keratoplasty, and neuro-ophthalmology remain confined to tertiary centres.
India Vision Atlas: A New Eye-Care Database
One of the major outcomes of the survey is a dedicated page on the India Vision Atlas, a public web portal linking the national eye-care database to an interactive map. “This tool allows patients, planners, and policymakers to check eye-care facilities and workforce availability in any state or district, and locate nearby institutes offering specific services,” explained Dr. Vivek Gupta, Additional Professor of Community Ophthalmology at AIIMS.
Need for Early Detection and Capacity Building
Dr. Rohit Saxena, Professor and In-Charge of Paediatric Ophthalmology at the RP Centre, stressed the importance of building capacity for children’s eye health. “We must strengthen primary-level screening to detect vision problems early, before they become disabling,” he said.
Call for Public Investment in Eye Health
The report, submitted to the Central Government, calls for urgent investment in public eye health. “India has made remarkable progress in cataract surgery,” concluded Dr. Vashist. “However, to achieve universal eye care, we must fortify the public system and expand primary-vision centres so that quality eye care reaches everyone — not just those who can afford it.”