RAWALPINDI, JAN 27: /DNA/ – Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital said on Monday that by 2050, Pakistan’s population will double, and so will the number of people confronting eye problems.
Eye problems are on the rise due to factors such as prolonged screen time, poor lifestyle habits, urbanization, and aging populations, and the government should brace to address these problems, it said.
Major. Gen. (Retd) Rehmat Khan, President of Al-Shifa Trust (AST), said that the private sector will not be able to cope with the problem of this magnitude; therefore, the government should intervene immediately.
He said that the government should upgrade the existing facilities and build state-run eye clinics at every basic health unit to provide eye treatment to patients who cannot afford costly private treatment.
He informed that a large number of people are facing digital overload, as prolonged screen time leads to digital eye strain, which causes symptoms like dry eyes, headaches, and blurred vision.
Maj. Gen. Rehmat Khan said that AST has treated 29 million patients over the last three decades, and it performs 9000 surgeries monthly at its Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Kohat, Muzaffarabad, Sukkar, and Gilgit hospitals.
He said that GB Hospital, which is under construction, is already providing services to the public lacking quality eye care. AST treats 80 percent of patients free of cost, and we run one of the widest spread outreach programs for the prevention of blindness in the country.
Throughout the year, school screenings, free eye camps, awareness campaigns, and primary eye care sessions are arranged in far-flung areas of the country.
The AST president underlined that the private sector cannot cope with the challenge of increased eye problems in the masses; therefore, the government must mobilize its resources. AST can train doctors and paramedics at its School of Ophthalmology.
He said ignorance and poverty prevent people from visiting doctors, and blindness is rising, especially among poor rural people. Eye care facilities were mostly concentrated in big cities, and in many districts and towns, there are simply no government-run eye care facilities, he added.
Gen Rehmat has said that approximately 4% of the world’s blind live in Pakistan. About 2.2 million people are completely blind; many have limited or no access to eye care.
With 90% of the world’s visually impaired living in developing countries, Pakistan is no exception to this ongoing global healthcare challenge. The combination of aging, sugar, and a growing population has significantly increased the number of people with vision impairment.
There is an enormous financial burden of vision impairment in countries such as Pakistan, which, despite making many advances in addressing eye conditions, cannot progress enough to keep pace with the growing population’s eye care needs.
