Chandigarh: The Advanced Eye Centre at PGI has reached a global benchmark in saving children’s sight, establishing itself as the world’s leading hub for specialised paediatric glaucoma care. According to documented medical literature, PGI has now officially overtaken the world-renowned Samuel and Ethel Balkan International Pediatric Glaucoma Center at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, previously recognised as the world’s only standalone paediatric glaucoma centre, to handle the largest volume of young patients.“While the Miami centre treats an average of 4,133 children annually, including 339 new patients, PGI managed 7,269 children in total and registered 602 new referrals during 2025-26, surpassing the Miami institute’s numbers,” Dr Sushmita Kaushik, professor and in-charge of glaucoma services at PGI, said.This unprecedented patient volume was highlighted through a national study spearheaded by Dr Kaushik in her capacity as founder secretary of the Indian Pediatric Glaucoma Society. Tracking childhood glaucoma across 13 major medical centres in India, the study revealed that PGI treated the highest number of newly diagnosed cases in the country. Together with the LV Prasad Eye Institute, the two institutions accounted for more than half of all newly diagnosed children nationwide.What began in 2012 as a once-a-week clinic started by Dr Kaushik has, over the past 14 years, evolved into a major lifeline for families battling this rare, complex and potentially blinding eye disease.“PGI’s exceptional clinical workload, pioneering research and contribution to global glaucoma care demonstrate how specialised expertise can transform outcomes for children with a potentially blinding disease. This is a matter of immense pride for PGI and, above all, represents a significant contribution towards preventing avoidable childhood blindness,” said Prof Vivek Lal, director, PGI.PGI’s eye centre has also gained international recognition for performing the country’s first goniotomy, a delicate sight-saving surgery for infants, developing an affordable glaucoma drainage device for severe cases, pioneering advanced non-invasive laser imaging for early diagnosis, and leading groundbreaking genetic studies on infant eye health.
