Dr Yasmin launches children's eye check-up programme in 3 districts

LAHORE: The Punjab Health Department has launched a programme of eye check-up of over 600,000 children in three districts of the province under the supervision of Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid.

The minister kicked off the programme by observing a signing of agreement ceremony among the Health department, Fred Hollows Foundation Australia and School Education Department, held at the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department here on Tuesday.

Addressing the ceremony, Dr. Yasmin said the initiative had been launched in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar.

She said that eyes of over 600,000 children of Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali and Khushab districts would be checked-up as per the agreement. "We have recently completed the screening of over 450,000 children in government schools of Punjab," she said.

She said that children may suffer problems in their academic life if eye check ups were not conducted.

The minister said that under the agreement, necessary facilities for check up would be ensured at the DHQ Hospitals while training of over 6600 doctors, teachers, health nutrition supervisors and health professionals would be conducted.

"Trained staff will be helpful in screening activity,” she added.

Dr. Yasmin said that binoculars would be distributed among 10,000 children and elders.

"This is a pilot project and after its success, it will be scaled up to entire province," she added.

She said that the cost of the project might touch Rs. 120 million and an awareness campaign would be started in government schools of the selected districts.

She said that the Fred Hollows Foundation had been working with the Punjab government since 1998 to save children from blindness.

On the occasion, Punjab School Education Minister Murad Raas said the agreement would be beneficial for children in three districts.

He said that improvement in eye vision of the children would be helpful in their studies as well.

The agreement was signed by Secretary PSH Department Captain (retd) Usman Younis, Secretary School Education Department Dr. Suhail Shahzad, CEO Mayo Hospital Professor Asad Aslam Khan and Dr. Iqbal Javed from the Fred Hollows Foundation.