Inner visions... Photo

Photographer’s Note

India is now home to the world's largest number of blind people. Of the 37 million people across the globe who are blind, over 15
million are from India.

What's worse, 75% of these are cases of avoidable blindness, because of the country's acute shortage of optometrists and donated eyes for the treatment of corneal blindness. While India needs 40,000 optometrists, it has only 8,000.

On the other hand, while India needs 2.5 lakh (250 000) donated eyes every year, the country's 109 eye banks (five in Delhi) manage to collect a maximum of just 25,000 eyes, 30% of which can't be used.

According to Ajeet Bhardwaj, outgoing president of the Asia Pacific Optometrists Organisation, India has 12,000 ophthalmologists who have no time to conduct blindness-preventing surgeries because they are flooded with general eye check-up of patients.

Source: THE TIMES OF INDIA, October 11 2007.

Hopefully, this Saddhu, walking in the streets of Mumbai, has found inner peace.

Il y a plus de 17 millions d'aveugles en Inde, c'est à dire environ 40% du total mondial... Et le pire est que 75% des cas seraient évitables, à cause du manque de chirurgiens spécialisés et d'ophtalmologistes... Alors qu'il faudrait 40 000 optométristes, il n'y en a que 8000.
D'autre part, alors qu'il faudrait 250 000 dons d'yeux, les 109 banques d'organes du pays (5 à Delhi), n'arrivent à en récolter que 25 000, dont seuls 30% sont utilisables.
Selon le Dr Ajeet Bhardwaj, président sortant de la 'Asia Pacific Optometrists Organisation', les 12 000 ophtalmologistes, qui pourraient effectuer des opérations préventives, n'en ont pas le temps, car ils sont surchargés par les consultations.

Espérons que ce Saddhou, marchant dans les rues de Mumbai, a trouvé la paix intérieure.

isabela_sor, Cricri, besnard, Clementi, axiotea, jlbrthnn, greentara, danos, carper, Didi, cobbydale, jhm, AiresSantos, ChrisJ, Urs, JCG has marked this note useful

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isabela_sor (42493) 2009-08-19 9:46 [Comment]

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Cricri (43790) 2009-08-19 10:44

Salut Laurent
Une image dur et triste, ne plus voir je pense que c'est le pire de tout, on doit se sentir isolé de tout...bonne note information , dur réaliter...
Passe une belle soirée
cricri

besnard (31114) 2009-08-19 10:50

Bonsoir Laurent
Elle donne la chair de poule cette photo après la lecture de ta note. Elle est colorée et bien réalisé mais d'un réalisme poignant.
Merci pour le partage et bonne soirée.
Nicole

Morac (20899) 2009-08-19 13:45

Bonsoir Laurent,

Merci pour la photo de ce Saddhou et pour cette information sur les aveugles en Inde.
Amicalement
Marc

Clementi (45285) 2009-08-19 14:20

Ciao Laurent,
una immagine molto dura accompagnata da una nota che fa rabbrividire,un ottimo reportage spero che possa scuotere qualcuno.....
Giorgio

axiotea (16305) 2009-08-19 20:29

Salut Lan
La note fait froid dans le dos!!!
Triste réalité pour des millions de personnes :((
Une image bien saisie! j'espère que cet homme aura trouvé la paix intérieure, comme l'indique le titre...
A bientôt
Marilyn

John_F_Kennedy (32032) 2009-08-20 3:32

Hello Laurent,
Lovely portrait of this man. An interesting documentation of this way of life. Well done.
Best wishes,
Achim

delkoo (34810) 2009-08-20 4:40

salut laurent
en premiere lecture la photo fait rire , mais quand on a lu la note le sourire se transforme stupéfaction de voir qu'il y a tant de personnes aveugles en Indes .

didier

jlbrthnn (39039) 2009-08-20 7:41

Bonjour laurent,
Il n'est pas nécessaire pour ce saddhou d'avoir ses deux yeux pour voir la lumière intérieure, mais celà l'arrangerait bien pour les côtés pratiques de la vie. Excellente image, suprenante. Bravo.
Bonne journée.
Amicalement.
Joël

greentara (147) 2009-08-20 8:15

Hi Laurent,

Thank you for this photo and the interesting note. I can sympathize with this man as I suffered a retinal detachment while in India 2 years ago, underwent surgery in Delhi and am still having problems relating to my sight.

This photo and the note demonstrate what TE is all about.

regards, Joan

danos (33330) 2009-08-20 23:07

Geia sou Laurent,
the numbers that you write in your note make one's creepy.These poor people loose their eyes the most of them i imagine for healthy reasons.Human rubbish.Nice the portrait of this blind man.

Se xereto,Danos

feather (50168) 2009-08-21 7:27

It's difficult to read this kind of information when we take so much about our health (and sight) for granted. It's a well taken portrait and the piece of newspaper attached to one of the lenses adds more poignancy

carper (65742) 2009-08-21 7:37

marvelous portrait my friend,
good details, fine colors, well composed shot, have a good weekend.
regard jaap

Didi (36516) 2009-08-21 13:25

Salut Laurent
Le chirurgien qui m'a opéré à l'oeil va souvent dans ces pays pour guérir gratuitement les pauvres malheureux de la cataracte.
Image désolante certes.
Amitiés

Angshu (34141) 2009-08-23 23:41

Hi Laurent
I was not aware of this aspect of blindness & also that India has the largest no. of blind persons! Difficult to say what I feel seeing the shot...definitely not comfortable!
Regards
Angshu

cobbydale (1924) 2009-08-24 2:18

Hi Laurent, well captured documentary shot and a point well made in the excellent notes. The picture also speaks for itself.
cheers
Leon

jhm (83378) 2009-08-24 4:43

Bonjour Laurent,

I know perfect how difficult not good see.
I got two new lenses implants almost one year ago.
Now I see almost perfect as twenty year ago.
Perhaps would a colour picture are very lovely.
Sharpness and clarity are very fine.
Very well composition, nice colour too. TFS.

Have a new hot day,
John.

AiresSantos (42964) 2009-08-25 1:42

Bonjour Laurent
Amazing portrait of this man. Fine colours and details
Well framed and done
Good informative not as usual from you
TFS and have a nice day
Aires

ChrisJ (70443) 2009-08-25 4:20

Salut Laurent

Thank you for drawing attention to this sad plight. Looks like he has a 'Player' cigarette packet, concealing his bad eye. So sad. A good photojournalistic shot, with excellent sharpness & colour. Merci!

Urs (3296) 2009-08-26 0:12

Hi Laurant

I had no idea how many blind people live in India. The number is disturbingly high. When I look at your picture I'm not so sure if he cannot see at least a bit with the right eye. Indians are very good actors. I have seen that many times. Nonetheless he is visually challenged, no question and your note is excellent. The color hues are vibrant and the sharpness is fine. Well done

Best regards
Urs

JCG (25753) 2009-09-03 12:40

Bonsoir Laurent,

Un constat vraiment effrayant dans ton commentaire et voilà pourquoi ce refuge dans la foi... mais ce serait mieux si une aide vraiment sérieuse et efficace pouvait leur être offerte. Une photo percutante sur cette dure réalité.

Avec toutes mes amitiés et à bientôt,

Jean-Charles