Bangladesh plans to establish specialized outpatient, inpatient and operating-theatre facilities for eye care at 151-bed hospitals to be built at the upazila level, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr M A Muhith said on Tuesday. He made the announcement at the launch of the World Health Organization’s SPECS 2030 initiative at a hotel in the capital on 18 August 2026.

Muhith said the government is finalizing an integrated national eye-care plan targeting about one million cataract surgeries, distribution of several crore pairs of glasses, and expanded treatment for diabetic retinopathy. Nearly 500 upazilas are expected to receive enhanced eye-care services, reducing the need for patients to travel to district towns or Dhaka. Primary eye care will also be included in training for about 100,000 health workers currently under recruitment.

The government aims to expand regular cataract surgery and refractive-error correction services in at least half of the country’s districts by coordinating existing district-hospital infrastructure. Officials and stakeholders called for stronger primary care, trained personnel, referrals, affordable glasses, reliable data and collaboration across government, WHO, NGOs, professional bodies, development partners and private-sector actors.