PROVIDE EYE CARE TO GRASSROOTS PEOPLE-NASIM

Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim on Sunday stresses the need for providing eye treatment to the grassroots people who have no easy access to modern facilities.

He came up with the remarks while addressing a discussion organised at the National Institute of Ophthalmology & Hospital (NIO&H), marking the World Sight Day.

“The poor have no proper idea about the eye care. So you should first work for awareness and provide special care,” he said.

The National Eye Care has planned to provide primary eye care in 2022 and will establish infrastructure in the tertiary level for eye care service with low cost, the minister added.
 
Besides, speakers at the discussion said around 15 lakh children are suffering from low vision which is curable through proper treatment.

Presenting the keynote paper featuring ‘Eye care situation in Bangladesh’ at the discussion, Line Director of NEC and Director of NIO&H Prof Dr Golam Mostafa said “In Bangladesh, there are 40 percent children of the total population and four percent of them are below vision standard. Around 15 lakh children are suffering from low vision which is curable through proper treatment. Moreover, eye sights of 250,000 people are at risk due to Diabetic Retinopathy.”

He also presented that there are approximately 750,000 blind people. And cataract is the predominant cause of blindness of 80 percent patients.

Alongside, refractive error, Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy, retinal diseases, corneal diseases, optic atrophy and childhood blindness also cause blindness.

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Maleque, Health Services Division Secretary Md Serajul Huq Khan, DGHS Director General Prof Abul Kalam Azad, its former Director General Prof Deen Mohd Noorul Huq and President of Ophthalmology Society of Bangladesh Prof Md Sharfuddin Ahmed were present at the programme as special guests.

The World Sight Day was observed in the country as elsewhere across the globe with the theme ‘Make Vision Count’.  

National Eye Care under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) brought out a procession from the National Institute of Ophthalmology & Hospital (NIO&H) at noon, marking the day.

Leading ophthalmologists and healthcare experts of the country and representatives from local and international NGOs working for eye care attended the programme.