Some five lakh poor people would get a chance to regain their eyesight as the Sightsavers, National Eye Care Centre (DGHS), BRAC and 12 other associate private organizations are going to conduct cataract operation activities free of cost in their hospitals across the country.
The participatory-based initiative that is going to start from the current month and would continue till December, 2019 in all the District Sadar Hospitals of Rajshahi, Rangpur and Khulna divisions and Dhaka Division (Gopalganj and Rajbari districts) and 21 hospitals of the partner organizations.
The organizations made the announcement of the drive on Saturday after signing a joint memorandum of understanding (MoU) in city’s Spectra Convention Centre, where Director General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and representatives of Sightsavers, National Eye Care Centre and other associate partner organizations and hospitals were present.
The activities will be carried out to eliminate blindness caused by the cataract backlog under Vision Bangladesh-District Eye Treatment Activities.
Apart from the cataract operation, an advocacy plan would be formulated for Health System Strengthening and spectacles would also be provided at free of cost or lesser price through franchise-based agreement with local spectacle shops as piloting in a district.
Prof Dr Jalal Ahmed, Line Director of National Eye Care Centre, said the specialized doctors would not take any fees for cataract operation through patient screening programme.
Dr Mohammad Golam Kibria, Country Director of Sightsavers, said the cataract operation would be conducted fully free of cost and no charge would also be taken during follow-up visits.
In addition, patients would be transported to hospitals and home on car during operation and treatment, he added.
Speaking on the occasion Professor AHM Enayet Hussain, Line Director, NCDC of DGHS hoped other foreign donor agencies and wealthy people would move forward to eliminate the blindness what Sightsavers is doing for the poor people in the country.
Dr Kawser Afsana, Director of BRAC Health, Nutrition and Population also addressed the programme.
The partner organizations hospitals are: Khulna Division: Add-Deen (Kustia, Jessore, and Khulna), Dristridan Eye Hospital (Bagerhat), Lesar Eye Hospital (Khulna) and BNSB Base Eye Hospital, Khulna.
Rajshahi Division: Professor M A Matin Memorial BNSB Base Eye Hospital (Sirajganj, Pabna, Natore, Naogaon and Rajshahi), Bogra Mission Hospital (Bogra and Joypurhat), Grameen GCI (Bogra and Thakurgaon) and Mocca Eye Hospital (Rajshahi).
Rangpur Division: Kashem Foundation (Kurigram and Nilphamari), Community Eye Hospital (Rangpur), Deep Eye Care Foundation (Rangpur), Gausul Azam BNSB Eye Hospital (Dinajpur).
