Caretaker Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare, Dr Jamal Nasir, announced significant steps to protect the eye health of premature babies. He was addressing a seminar on World Vision Day organized at the King Edward Medical University here on Wednesday. He emphasized the need for creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to administer oxygen to premature infants, as excessive oxygen exposure can lead to eye diseases in the newborns.
Dr Jamal Nasir revealed that mandatory eye examinations would be conducted for newborns before they were discharged from hospitals, with orders to make this practice compulsory in the near future. To support this initiative, Australias Fred Hallo Foundation had offered Rs 600 million in aid to Punjab, and an MoU for collaboration would soon be signed.
The partnership would ensure the provision of necessary equipment for eye examinations and surgeries at district and tehsil headquarters hospitals across the province. Addressing additional healthcare concerns, Dr Jamal Nasir shared that Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi had directed the removal of staff shortages in primary health centers, tehsil, and district hospitals, and had called for the preparation of estimates for equipment and machinery requirements.
Furthermore, the shortage of ophthalmologists in remote and under-served areas of the province would be addressed by posting eye specialists there. Dr Nasir also highlighted the remarkable progress in reducing the rate of blindness in Pakistan, which had decreased from 2 percent to 0.5 percent of the total population. He acknowledged the dedication of Pakistani doctors who had played a pivotal role in serving society and improving eye care.
The seminar also featured contributions from esteemed experts, including Prof Dr Asad Aslam, Prof Dr Muhammad Moin, and Prof Dr Haroon Hamid.
