Poor people deprived of eye treatment in rural areas:Daily Sun

  Many elderly people and adults from poor families are facing eye inflammation due to lack of eye treatment facilities in rural and remote areas across the country, health experts said. They opined that rural healthcare centres need to provide eye treatment so that people can get easy access to eye treatment in remote areas. Considering the sufferings of people due to eye inflammation, the government has taken a move to render eye treatment in 42 districts where eye patients are a bit higher than other areas. Official sources said 30,000 poor and helpless patients from 42 districts will be brought under these eye treatment facilities. The National Eye Care under the Directorate of Health Services will provide this primary eye treatment, including cataract surgery. Health experts and ophthalmologists have hailed the government’s move as it will benefit the poor and destitute people of the country. Dr Gias Uddin, a noted ophthalmologist, said globally, every 5 seconds one person goes blind and every minute one child goes blind. In Bangladesh, over 740,000 people aged over 30 are blind, of which 80 percent are due to cataract, he added. Dr Gias also said, “Around 120,000 cataract patients are being added to the existing eye patients every year and over 6 million people in Bangladesh need vision correction by spectacles and other means.” An eye specialist of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University estimated that around 150,000 irreversible blind require rehabilitation. There are about 40,000 visually impaired women and children in Bangladesh, of whom an estimated 12,000 have cataract. “It is the duty of all of us to encourage parents and cataract-affected children to avail the opportunity of getting treatment of their eyes to cure the sickness. Because it is their right to get treatment and see this beautiful world, instead of being blind,” he also added. The eye specialist of BSMMU said the World Health Organisation (WHO) pointed out in its report that VISION 2020 seeks to ensure the best possible vision for all people by adopting an integrated approach based on priority diseases in poverty stricken areas and ensuring development of eye care facilities. Dr Nitay Kanti Das, member secretary of Health Right Movement, said floating poor people like rickshaw-pullers, day-labourers, people living in slums and rural areas can receive the affordable health care facilities given by the National Eye Care. “Every citizen can be a health worker, and create awareness about the cause and treatment of eye and request them to receive eye treatment,” he added. Prof Dr Jalal Ahmed, Line-Director of National Eye Care, at a recent programme said that they would conduct 30,000 cataract surgeries in 42 districts. “Different non-government organisations, including ‘Sight Savers’ (An international Organisation), will help us to conduct this primary eye care treatment,” he added.