Mobile screening programme to combat infant blindness

Purpose is to establish outreach screening centres for retinopathy of prematurity

LAHORE: For the first time in Pakistan, an initiative was started at the Lahore General Hospital for the mobile retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening programme. The purpose is to establish outreach screening centres for ROP and to strengthen the programmes of tertiary care hospitals in Lahore.

Two mobile retinal cameras have been donated by Qarshi Foundation to LGH for examine the retina of babies who are born premature. One camera will be used to screen babies at Lahore General Hospital, while the other will be provided as a mobile service for other government hospitals in Punjab, free of cost. This will be helpful for post-discharge evaluations of patients that could go blind.

At the Inauguration ceremony of these camera machines, Principal PGMI/AMC/LGH Prof. Mohammad Tayyab said that amazingly advanced treatment of complicated diseases have become possible now due to modern research and achievement in the medical field. He said it is more important to identify certain conditions at an early age so that children can get rid of these problems.

Professor Mohammad Tayyab added this conference would be a milestone to prevent and cure ophthalmic problems and diseases of the retina among premature babies. He further said that the knowledge and experience of senior doctors would go a long way to improve and further increase the knowledge of junior doctors.

Senior doctors, professors and eye and pediatric specialists were present on this occasion and they highlighted their experiences and methods. They stressed on the sensitivity of the issue and urged the need to talk about the achievements in the health sector. He said this unprecedented development at the Lahore General Hospital will be followed by others.

In the conference, Professor of Ophthalmology PGMI/AMC/LGH Dr Mohammad Moin, in collaboration with Paediatric Department Head Professor Agha Shabbir Ali, took the initiative of holding of the conference. The project has been started with international collaboration from USA.
Professor Moin further told stated Pakistan currently ranks fourth in the number of premature births (15%) and the infant mortality rate of Pakistan is 65.8. It faces a large premature infant population that can become blind for life (estimated 10,000 per year), requiring a minimum of Rs600,000 of support throughout their life.

“We have currently saved 70 babies from going blind at LGH. Eight hundred babies are being examined for ROP every year at LGH. It is a potentially permanently blinding disease when not treated appropriately.” He explained that it was a disease in the blood vessels of the eyes of premature children. All premature babies with gestational age 35 weeks or less and birth weight of less than 2 kg need to have eye examinations to detect this silent blinding disease.

“Treatment needs to be done within 48 hours of reaching a critical stage (Type 1 ROP) which can only be identified by a trained ophthalmologist’s examination or pictures taken by a RetCam (a specialized camera to take pictures of the premature baby’s retina).