T

he local health agency in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, said on Tuesday that 40,000 residents required treatment for cataracts.

The health agency added that there were only 19 ophthalmologists in the province, making it a challenge for the agency to meet patient needs.

“Only 6,000 to 8,000 patients can undergo surgery each year,” the provincial health agency head, Eka Junaedi, said on Tuesday.

He said the province attained the data after carrying out a survey in 10 regencies and municipalities in 2014. The survey found that 4 percent of the 1.1 million population above 50 years old, or about 40,000 people, had cataracts.

With the low capability of the province in dealing with the ailment, Eka predicted the number of people with cataracts in the province to rise.