Where do persons with blindness caused by cataracts in rural areas of India seek treatment and why?

The utilization of eye care facilities by patients with a cataract was evaluated among 240 patients selected from eye care camps that were conducted by our center. Of the patients, 52.9% had visited previous eye care camps, while 19.2% consulted private ophthalmologists. Easy accessibility, reputation of a facility, competence of its staff, free service, and nearby facilities were the major reasons that were cited by patients for utilization of service facilities. Distance, monetary constraints, and a lack of professional trust, escorts, and the perception about the seriousness of their ocular condition were the main reasons that patients were not motivated to use such service facilities. Statistically significant differences were observed when past utilization of eye care camps was related to age, marital status, and source of income.