for cross-border eye care talks
Pakistan and Uzbekistan discuss regional ophthalmology cooperation
DNA
RAWALPINDI (May 14, 2026)
The Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan visited Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital to explore a potential partnership in eye care, including telemedicine, medical training, and institutional referrals for Uzbek patients.
Ambassador Alisher Tukhtaev, accompanied by Second Secretary Ravshan Jumanov, met Al-Shifa Trust leadership including President Maj Gen (Retd) Rehmat Khan and Administrator Dr Khalid Yazdani Shah. The delegation was briefed on the Trust’s nationwide network and specialised services, including corneal treatment facilities led by Prof Dr Wajid Ali Khan, Chief of Medical Services.
Discussions identified several areas for future cooperation including telemedicine links, short-term internships for Uzbek healthcare professionals, exchange of medical technologies, hospital management systems, vocational education, and joint workshops and specialised training programmes.
Both sides also discussed collaborative outreach programmes in underserved communities and a proposal for a future presidential-level engagement aimed at formalising healthcare cooperation between the two countries.
The talks come as Al-Shifa Trust expands its international outreach beyond Pakistan. In FY2024-25, it treated 5,632 patients and conducted more than 400 cataract surgeries in Somalia, part of a broader expansion targeting underserved regions including Afghanistan and East Africa.
The Uzbekistan engagement marks Al-Shifa’s first structured healthcare outreach into Central Asia, where specialised ophthalmology services remain limited outside major urban centres, particularly in corneal treatment, diabetic retinopathy screening, and paediatric eye care. Globally, cataract, refractive error, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration remain among the leading causes of preventable blindness, with lower-income countries facing the largest treatment gaps.
If formalised, the arrangement could reduce treatment costs for Uzbek patients seeking specialised eye care abroad while opening medical training and healthcare service export opportunities for Pakistan’s healthcare sector.
Ambassador Tukhtaev praised the hospital’s patient-focused infrastructure and adherence to international clinical standards.
Head of Marketing AST Raja Sabeeh Shamim and Pakistan’s representative to the Uzbekistan embassy Hamid Mehmood were also present in the meeting.
Officials said expanding bilateral cooperation in medical services and education could open a new chapter in regional healthcare collaboration. They said Al-Shifa Trust operates Pakistan’s largest eye care outreach network through seven hospitals and thousands of medical camps, providing free treatment to nearly 80 to 90 percent of its patients.
