RAWALPINDI – President Arif Alvi on Wednesday inaugurated the country’sfirst-ever eye bank in garrison city of Rawalpindi.
Around 20 million people in Pakistan are blind due to various eye diseases.Out of these, 200,000 people are blind because of corneal diseases andtheir eyesight can be restored with Cornea transplants.
Al Shifa Trust carries out over 800 eye transplants every year but it is amatter of concern that we do not have the trend of eye donations or goodfacilities for preservation of cornea in Pakistan.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Alvi said that it is very encouragingthat Al-Shifa has established state-of-the-art eye bank in collaborationwith Ever sight Eye Bank, USA to collect corneal donations.
Read Top Stories
He underlined the need to spread public awareness so that people startdonating their eyes and urge the media and the public to take thischallenge.
“It is a matter of great satisfaction that Al-Shifa would establish a chainof eye banks in other cities which will go a long way in providing sight tothose who need it the most,” said the President while paying glowingtributes to the founder of the trust, Lt. Gen. Jahan Dad Khan (Late), andincumbent president of the trust Lt. Gen. (r) Hamid Javaid, its dedicatedstaff, Ever Sight Eye Bank, USA, and its representatives Mr. Colin and Mr.Erik for serving humanity through the prevention and control of blindness.
