Some five lakh poor people would get a chance to regain their eyesight as Sightsavers, National Eye Care Centre, BRAC and 12 other associates are going to conduct cataract operations, free of cost, in their hospitals across the country.
The participatory initiative that is going to start from this month would continue till December, 2019 at Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Gopalganj and Rajbari and 21 other hospitals of the partner organizations.
Activities would be carried out to eliminate blindness caused by cataract backlog under Vision Bangladesh-District Eye Treatment Activities.
Apart from the cataract operation, advocacy plan would be formulated for health system strengthening and spectacles would also be provided, free-of-cost, or at token price through franchise-based agreement with local spectacle shops.
Prof Dr Jalal Ahmed, Line Director of National Eye Care Centre, said specialized doctors would not take any fee for cataract operation through patient screening programme.
Dr Mohammad Golam Kibria, country director of Sightsavers, said they would conduct cataract operation and organize follow-up treatments.
