MARGAO: The price of Lasik surgery, a popular surgery used to correct vision in people who are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism, has shot up, thanks to the weak rupee as compared to the US dollar. The surgery which would cost around Rs 30,000-40000 last year has doubled in price in just one year.
The surgery which had brought respite to hundreds of Goans with poor vision and freed them from glasses and contact lenses, requires imported materials. The cost of the materials, particularly the gas of the excimer laser used in the surgery, has increased as a result of the falling rupee. Also, import duties have been increased on the materials.
Sources in an eye hospital in Nuvem, which is the only hospital in Goa to offer the Lasik treatments, say that the cost of the special gas cylinder used in the surgery has shot up from Rs 2 lakh to more than Rs 8 lakh.
Patients visiting the hospital are not happy with the hike in charges, but some have no choice but to bear the high cost. Besides senior citizens, many young men and women are opting for the surgery to qualify for jobs like flight attendants and defence personnel.
“The DDSSY scheme does not cover this surgery. We can’t see without glasses. This is a disease and Lasik is the only surgery for it. The government is treating Lasik like a cosmetic surgery which it is not. Lasik should have been covered by the Government health insurance scheme,” said a young graduate who has a very high number in one eye. “I made a mistake waiting for a year. I was saving for the surgery but now the rates have gone up but I have no choice. I have to go ahead with the surgery.”
The demand for coverage of Lasik under DDSSY was unanimous among the patients who were waiting in the hospital lobby. “The only other option is to go to Karnataka or Kerala for the surgery where the rates a little less but once the surgery is done, we can’t look at any light for a week. So it’s a risk going out of State”, said another patient who took an appointment for the surgery. “If not the whole amount, the government should provide at least some subsidy for the surgery,” said the patient.
With no sign of the rupee strengthening, the Lasik surgery prices will not come down anytime soon. It is up to the government to provide some respite for people especially the youth who need a near perfect vision for certain jobs.
