Zubair Qureshi
Al-Shifa Eye Trust has set a new record of treating half a million eye patients in rural and remote areas of the country during the last year through its 1500 free eye camps to reduce avoidable vision impairment.
The patients included around 250,000 children who were provided best possible treatment.
Maj Gen (R) Rehmat Khan, President of Al-Shifa Trust, said this while briefing media persons about the outreach programme achievements in 2022-23.
Pak Army has helped the trust in arranging free eye camps in different remote areas including Waziristan, Malakand, Pasni, Gwadar, Zhob, Jiwani and far-flung areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, and Chitral, he added.
He said that through these camps we aim to reduce the cases of avoidable vision impairment, alleviate the suffering of underprivileged patients, especially in deprived areas, improve the eye health of the community, raise health awareness and reduce the level of poverty associated with visual impairment.
He said that free eye camps were held in the underprivileged areas including Loralai, Chaman, Skardu, Chitral, North and South Waziristan and Malakand where we received a very positive response.
About 250,000 children were screened for different eye diseases in girls’ and boys’ schools and surgical camps were established conducting 12000 surgeries, in rural areas of Pakistan, he said.
Rehmat Khan said that Pak Army ensured foolproof security, transport and other facilities for teams of doctors conducting camps in difficult terrains.
In some areas of South and North Waziristan, Army personnel provided food and accommodation and arranged all other things paving the way for treatment and surgeries for the people.
Recently Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital established a 2-day free Surgical and School Screening eye camp in Zhob which was generously sponsored by the 29 Brigade Pakistan Army, he said.
The complicated cases from remote areas are referred to Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, he said, adding that the trust started an outreach program in 1992 and its free eye camps are covering the entire country.
Giving details, he said that Al-Shifa Centre for Community Ophthalmology delivers quality eye care at the doorstep of rural and underserved populations.
Dr Tariq Usman, General Manager of the Al-Shifa Centre for Community Ophthalmology, said at the occasion that the trust runs one of the widest spread outreach programmes to prevent blindness.
We are increasing the number of free eye camps in remote areas where the patients lack access to resources for quality medical facilities.
