The cost of corrective surgery put it out of reach for most people, and the lack of trained eye doctors in the country meant many people, especially those living in rural areas, had to travel long distances to seek care. V knew that many, many more people existed who simply went without. V, as he is popularly known, still had a burning desire to do something to relieve the suffering of his fellow citizens.įor every surgery he had performed, Dr. When he retired in 1976 at the government-mandated age of 58, Dr. A trained ophthalmologist, he personally performed more than 100,000 eye surgeries during his career. Govindappa Venkataswamy was well aware of the blindness that plagued his country. Some estimates suggest the Indian economy loses 1.4% of its GNI each year due to the impact of blindness.Įarly in his career, Dr. An estimated 75% of blindness in India is preventable, but too many lack access to the eye care they need.Īpart from the emotional and social tolls associated with the loss of sight, most people who lose their sight in India lose with it the ability to make a living or pursue any more education. Of the estimated 39 million blind people in the world today, nearly a third live in India.

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