This is a news report on June 24, 2009:来源：荆楚网 (楚天都市报 陈媛 田静欣 高翔 向清)
记者昨从湖北省卫生厅获悉，我省于近日启动“贫困白内障患者复明工程”，近万名患者可从中受益。
今年，我国启动“百万贫困白内障患者复明工程”，计划利用3年时间，为100万名贫困白内障患者实施复明手术，湖北省今年的任务是9475例，每位患者将享受800元的费用减免。全省三级医院和大部分具备条件的二级医院都将成为项目医院。
昨日，中南医院开始接受手术报名，凡我省农业户口以及城镇下岗职工、低保、残疾人士等都可持相关证明到该院登记手术。
该院眼科主任蔡小军介绍，我国约有盲人1240多万，因白内障致盲人数约为699万，这其中又有15%的患者属于贫困阶层，无钱做手术。
Partial translation: "Hubei Province will soon institute a program, Cataract Vision Restoration for the Poor, and about 1 million patients will benefit. This is a 3-year program and for the current year, 9,475 patients will enjoy a $800 (about USD 100) discount for the surgery... It is estimated that there are 12.4 million blind in China. Of them, 6.99 million are cataract cases and 15% cannot afford to pay for the surgery [hence this program]."
Certainly a step in the right direction.
