The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Three world-class eye hospitals are going to set up in Jamalpur, Noagaon and Barisal districts for providing treatment for the poor free of cost.

Construction work for the three hospitals will be completed within five years at a cost of Taka 14 crore. However, work for the hospital in Jamalpur will start next month.

Until then, Islamia Eye Hospital will provide better treatment for poor people in the three districts from the next month.

An agreement was signed yesterday between the Islamia Eye Hospital (IEH), and the MA Ispahani Institute of Ophthalmology and ORBIS International Bangladesh in the auditorium of the Islamia Eye Hospital in the city.

Director of the IEH Prof ASM Kamal Uddin and Country Director of the ORBIS Dr Asbu Raihan inked the accord behalf of their respective sides.

Director General and Adviser of the IEH Prof Khan MA Majur and Zahida Ispahani were present.

From 1960 to 2004, tens of thousands of poor cataract patients regained their eyesight free of cost and over 14,500 patients from January of 2005 to April this year.

Dhaka Urban Eye Care Project (DUECP) under the IEH took the initiative with the financial assistance of UK-based organization dubbed 'Sight Savers International.

Prof Kamal Uddin said presently the country has 7.5 lakh cataract patients and 60 lakh people have been suffering from cornea-related complexity.

About 48.6 percent eye patients do not able to avail surgery due to mainly poverty. Lack of awareness, fear of operation, social taboos and dependency on traditional healers are the other obstacles to the cataract surgery, according to a survey of the Bangladesh National Blindness and Low Vision Surgery (BNBLS).