Mathura (UP), Jan 23 (PTI) Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi said Thursday there are 7 crore people blind people in the country and 80 per cent of them could have avoided losing their sight if they had received timely treatment.

He stated that India needs advanced and modern ophthalmic facilities, and it is heartening to see that many social organisations are working in this direction, ahead of the government.

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Many Indians are also working in this field, providing medical aid to poor countries, the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner said while addressing the inauguration ceremony of 'Kalyanam Karoti Netra Sansthan' located on the Mathura-Goverdhan road.

The institution has been started with a capacity of 200 beds, which will soon be increased to 400 beds.

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Shekhar Bajaj, the Chairman of Bajaj Foundation, was also present at the event as a special guest. He said while doing good deeds, one should always keep in mind that there should be no sense of ego or expectation, which is the message of Indian philosophy.

This is why the concept of liberation has been interpreted as being free from the desire for liberation itself, he said.

Bajaj appreciated the institution's resolve to treat one lakh patients annually, saying that it is not just a number, but a noble deed that will bring light to the lives of lakhs of people.

Satyarthi praised those who contribute to such social causes, saying that Indian philosophy emphasises earning with 100 hands and donating with 1,000.

The event was also addressed by Saint Govindanand Tirth of Vrindavan, Swami Kausal Kishore, Ramesh Uma Ganatra of Ramesh Uma Ganatra Family Foundation, USA, and others.

Girish Tripathi, former Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University; Narayan Das Agarwal, Chancellor of GLA University; Baba Balram Das, President of Kalyanam Karoti Sansthan; Meghshyam Singh, MLA from Goverdhan; and Swami Maheshanand Saraswati also spoke at the event.

Sunil Kumar Sharma, General Secretary of the institution, shared detailed information about the institution's plans. The event was attended by many dignitaries from India and abroad, including Shankara Eye Foundation Chairman Murali Krishna Murthy, Nayan Dalal, Adish Jain, and Om Prakash Dhannuka from Kolkata.

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