Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital – Page 3

August 16, 2022August 17, 2022

Al-Shifa Trust to build eye hospital in Quetta

Rawalpindi, August 16, 2022 (PPI-OT): With a mission to eliminate blindness and to take eye care of as many people as possible, Al-Shifa Trust is to set up a full-fledged hospital in Baluchistan. The facility with a capacity of 400 patients per day will be built at Quetta. Army has allocated a suitable land to the Al-Shifa Trust on which a state-of-the-art eye hospital will be built to improve the delivery of care in the city and rural areas.

The site is adjacent to the Quetta Cantt, it is a site for education and health city where NUST, cancer and cardiology hospitals are also located and public will have an easy approach to the facility. The eye hospital will cost around Rs80 million and it will be completed by 2024, said President Al-Shifa Trust Maj. Gen. (Retd) Rehmat Khan. Talking to a group of senior journalists, he said that all the details have been finalized during his visit to Quetta in July.

He further said that the hospital would provide comprehensive eye care services to the people of Baluchistan and those living in isolated regions of Afghanistan and Iranian Balochistan. This hospital with fifty beds will have a capacity to tackle 400 OPD patients and conduct 50 surgeries per day while every patient will get high-quality and efficient services, he informed.

An agreement has been signed with the concerned authorities, the site has been demarcated and an architect has been hired. Besides doctors, as well as paramedical staff for the Quetta eye hospital, are undergoing comprehensive training at Al-Shifa Trust Rawalpindi, he said.

Maj. Gen. (Retd) Rehmat Khan said that the trust under its community outreach program is conducting free eye camps in the far-flung areas of Baluchistan, treating thousands of patients. The outreach program will be further expanded to the remote areas of the province once the hospital in Quetta becomes functional, he concluded.

For more information, contact:

Executive Director,

Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital

Jhelum Road, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Phone: +92-51-5487820-24, 0336-5487666

Fax: +92-51-5487827

Email: ed@alshifaeye.org

Website: https://www.alshifaeye.org/

April 25, 2022April 26, 2022

Pakistan Army helps Al-Shifa in arranging free eye camps in far-flung areas

Rawalpindi, April 25, 2022 (PPI-OT):Pakistan Army has supported Al-Shifa Trust to set up free eye camps in different remote areas including Waziristan, Malakand, Baluchistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Chitral. Maj. Gen. (Retired) Rehmat Khan, President of Al-Shifa Trust said this while briefing media persons about the outreach program achievements in 2021-22.

He said that free eye camps were held in the underprivileged areas including Loralai, Chaman, Skardu, Chitral, North and South Waziristan and Malakand. About 17000 children were screened for different eye diseases in girls’ and boys’ schools and surgical camps were established conducting 2500 surgeries, he said.

Maj. Gen. (Retired) Rehmat Khan said that Pak Army provided us with fool proof security, transport and other facilities for teams of doctors conducting camps in difficult terrains, he added. In some areas of South and North Waziristan, Army personnel provided food and accommodation and arranged all other things paving way for treatment and surgeries for the people of remote areas.

The complicated cases from those areas were 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 cover the whole of the country. Giving details, he said that Al-Shifa Centre for Community Ophthalmology (ACCO) delivers quality eye care at the doorstep of the rural and underserved populations.

The trust runs one of the widest spread outreach programmes for the prevention of blindness and more than one million patients have been treated in rural areas so far including 600 surgeries. On the occasion, Dr Tariq Usman, General Manager of the Al-Shifa Centre for Community Ophthalmology said Al-Shifa Trust will increase the number of free eye camps in the remote areas where the patients lack access and resources for quality medical facilities. He said that out of the box solutions are needed to deal with the menace of blindness.

For more information, contact:
Executive Director,
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital
Jhelum Road, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Phone: +92-51-5487820-24, 0336-5487666
Fax: +92-51-5487827
Email: ed@alshifaeye.org
Website: https://www.alshifaeye.org/

April 15, 2022April 17, 2022

Timely examination can save premature babies from permanent blindness

Rawalpindi, April 15, 2022 (PPI-OT):Over eighty-five percent of premature babies who weigh less than 1.5 kilograms at the time of birth have a high risk of developing the disorganized growth of retinal blood vessels, which can cause vision problems including permanent blindness.

Babies born prematurely, before 266 days, have many obstacles to overcome in their first fragile weeks, one of which is eye development that can be resolved through screening and surgical procedures to help avoid serious eyesight problems like vision impairment and blindness.

Chief Consultant and Head of Retina Department at Al-Shifa Eye Hospital Dr Nadeem Qureshi said this while talking to the media persons. He said that the blood vessels of the retina develop three months after conception and complete their growth at the time of normal delivery.

If an infant is born prematurely, eye development can be disrupted, as the smaller a baby is at birth, the more likely that baby is to develop difficulties, he said. Using excess oxygen to treat premature babies in the hospitals stimulates abnormal vessel growth in the eyes, with the smallest and sickest having the highest risk of devastating effects of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), he said.

He added that studies have shown that keeping the oxygen saturation at a lower level from birth can reduce the rate of advanced ROP, a blinding eye disorder. All parents must include a vision screening in their list of baby check-ups between six and twelve months of age as every premature infant deserves the constant attention of an ophthalmologist because of his or her increased risk for eye misalignment, amblyopia, and the need for glasses to develop normal vision.

Dr Qureshi said that Al-Shifa Eye hospital has already signed MoUs with Fauji Foundation Hospital, Combined Military Hospital, and Benazir Bhutto Hospital to treat new-borns with vision complications. Al-Shifa Eye Hospital is the only facility in the SAARC region and among few in the world having the latest equipment and excellent skills to treat new-borns having, he claimed.

So far, trust has treated around 6000 infants in the last seven years and the number is bound to increase as the awareness grows, he said. He added that we are here to provide free guidance to all the state-owned and private healthcare facilities, including those in other countries, to help save thousands from plunging into darkness for life.

The Retina Department of Al-Shifa Hospital has 12 surgeons, assisted by trainees, and it performs Retinal OPD, lasers, injections and surgery every day of the week, Dr Qureshi informed. Average OPD at the Retina Department is 215 patients per day, average lasers are 35 per day, average injections are 50 per day and on average 25 surgeries are conducted daily, he added. He said that a retinal surgery costs about Rs95 thousand, but 75 percent of patients are treated free of cost.

April 4, 2022April 5, 2022

Al-Shifa introduces revolutionary new technology for eye treatment

Rawalpindi, April 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital has introduced a new revolutionary Swiss technology for eye treatment, which will benefit many in Pakistan. Al-Shifa has become the first facility in Asia to use a Femtosecond Laser developed by a Swiss company to carry out Bowmann Layer Transplant for the treatment of Keratoconus, an eye disease that affects the cornea, said Prof. Dr. Wajid Ali Khan, Chief of Medical Services of the trust.

He said that the latest technology will not only empower our ophthalmologists to deliver better vision care to their patients, but we will also train doctors working in other facilities. Wajid Ali Khan informed that about two hundred thousand people need this procedure but the trust can conduct 800 surgeries annually because of limited supply.

He said that due to this latest technology, layers of one cornea can be used to treat two to three patients. Senior Engineer of Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG Fritz Meyer who is currently in Pakistan said that this treatment takes a very thin layer of the donor’s cornea and is placed in a pocket in the patient’s diseased cornea suffering.

This procedure strengthens the weak cornea, hence avoiding the need for a full cornea transplant. So far, twenty patients have been treated with this technique successfully, which is encouraging, he added. It may be mentioned that the trust was established in 1991, it has been fighting against blindness and it has introduced many advanced treatment options during the last three decades.

In 1992 Cornea and Refractive Surgery department was established at Al-Shifa eye hospital Rawalpindi. Later Radial Keratotomy was introduced in 1993 to treat patients with glasses. The Excimer laser was introduced in 1995. Amniotic membrane Transplant and Limbal stem cell transplant started in 2006 and Amniotic Membrane Bank was also established.

To treat patients with Keratoconus disease in which the cornea becomes thin and conical, a new treatment called Collagen Cross linkage was started in 2008. This treatment was not even offered in countries like USA and Canada. Over 5000 patients have benefitted from this treatment since then and most of them are children and young adults.

In 2008 trust established the first international standard Eye Bank with the technical support of Eversight Eye Bank Michigan USA. Al-Shifa has the largest Cornea Transplant centre in Pakistan. Al-Shifa has been sharing its experiences with doctors at home and abroad by presenting its work at national and international conferences and by publishing it in medical journals.

March 19, 2022

Al-Shifa Trust expands services beyond borders

Rawalpindi, March 19, 2022 (PPI-OT): Al-Shifa Trust has signed an agreement with the Government of Gambia to provide short-term specialised professional training to their doctors and deserving patients from the West African nation will be offered free treatment. Al-Shifa Trust and the Gambia will also work together to offer ophthalmic services via telemedicine facility available at trust’s eye hospitals.

While speaking at the signing ceremony, Major Gen. (Retired) Rehmat Khan, President Al-Shifa Trust said the remote delivery of healthcare services over the telecommunications infrastructure will help improve the quality of life of people with no need for an in-person visit. Telemedicine allows healthcare providers to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients and it can also be used to take exams, he added.

He said that Al-Shifa will also ensure remote patient monitoring, which is also known as telemonitoring, that allows patients to be monitored in their homes using mobile devices that collect data about temperature, blood sugar levels, blood pressure or other vital signs. Rehmat Khan said that we are very pleased to extend our services beyond borders and this new collaboration is the first step in this regard which is very encouraging.

Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital has already decided to expand its outreach to the countries that are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to build their capacity, prevent blindness and provide timely eye care, he informed. He said that we will put our best efforts in upgrading the skills of doctors and paramedical staff hailing from OIC countries through distant learning which in turn will enable them to serve the patients in a better way, he said.

The visiting delegation included Minister Dr Lamin, Executive Director MCA Madam Janneh Kaira, DG Pharmaceutical Services Mr Babanding Sablly, Deputy Director Health Dr Snyassi, Focal Person Madam Misbah Sadiq, and Mr Abdullah. Members of the visiting delegation lauded the services of the trust and thanked their management for cooperation. They said that meeting with the trust officials was very productive and hoped that it will go a long way in serving humanity.

March 7, 2022

Food chain to donate part of its income to Al-Shifa Trust

Rawalpindi, March 07, 2022 (PPI-OT):A popular food chain has decided to donate a part of its income to Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital to serve humanity. An MOU has been signed between Cheezious and Al-Shifa Trust according to which the food chain will donate Rs20 per transaction generated in the holy month of Ramadan to the later with an aim to improve the quality of service.

The MOU was signed by Trust’s Executive Director Brig (Retd) Rizwan Ullah Asghar and Manager Resource Generation and Communication Suman Hammad while the Cheezious was represented by its Executive Director Umer Farooq and Brand Marketing Manager Muhammad Shameel Ushaq. Speaking at the occasion, Brig (Retd) Rizwan Ullah Asghar said that Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) often goes where others don’t. It is a noble cause to serve humanity and it will go a long way in strengthening the health system for the needy.

He said that many resource-poor people need proper health interventions, for which the trust is trying its best for decades, but a lot is needed to be done. We provide quality eye care services to the most remote and vulnerable populations. We build infrastructure, equip it with the latest technology and train staff at the health facilities and seek partners like Cheezious for the cause, he added.

Brig (Retd) Rizwan Ullah Asghar called upon the corporate sector and philanthropists to come forward and donate to serve the needy in the holy month of Ramadan so that Al-Shifa Trust can serve patients more efficiently and effectively. So far, the trust has treated over 24 million patients including approximately six hundred thousand surgeries while monthly OPD is almost sixty-five thousand, he informed.

Cheezious Executive Director Umer Farooq said that serving humanity is a noble cause and investments are necessary for expanded health service provision for which more companies should support such initiatives. People should share what they have been blessed with and distribute it to those who are not so fortunate, he said, adding that Charity is not only beneficial for those who receive it, there also lays a great reward for the ones who give.