'Eye health on the decline in Pakistan'

"Pakistan's population will double by 2050 and the number of people suffering from eye problems will increase. Increasing screen time is increasing eye strain. Al-Shifa Trust (AST) has treated 29 million patients in 30 years. Increasing vision problems require immediate government action," said Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital President Major General (retd) Rehmat Khan.

While talking to the media, he said that when Pakistan's population doubles by 2050, the number of people suffering from eye problems will also increase. He emphasised that providing services to such a large number of eye patients is not the sole responsibility of the private sector, so the government also needs to take strong steps in this regard.

"Screen time has increased a lot, which is affecting the eyesight of millions of people. In addition, lifestyle, sugar intake, migration to cities and the increase in the aging population are also creating problems," he said.

The President urged the government to upgrade existing facilities and set up government eye clinics in every primary health unit to treat patients who cannot afford private treatment. He said that a large number of people are facing digital overload, which causes symptoms like dry eyes, headaches and blurred vision.

According to him, AST has treated 29 million patients in the last three decades, while 9,000 people are operated on every month within hospitals in Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Kohat, Muzaffarabad, Sukkur and Gilgit. He said that the public is being provided with treatment facilities in the hospital under construction in Gilgit, while 80 per cent of the people across the country are provided free treatment facilities.

"AST is running the largest outreach programme for the prevention of blindness in the country. School screenings, free eye camps, awareness campaigns and basic eye care sessions are organised in remote areas of the country throughout the year," he elaborated.

Noting that ignorance and poverty prevent people from visiting doctors, he said that blindness is increasing, especially among poor rural people.