Punjab, has a population of around 110 million people, the vast bulk of who live in abject poverty. Eye care facilities especially in smaller towns and rural areas are either not available or are far beyond the reach of the poor and even the lower middle class. LRBT with its free eye car services is their only hope. There are an estimated 12. 1 million blind & visually impaired people in Punjab of which an estimated 1.2 million are blind . An additional 120,000 go blind every year.
An estimated 12. 1 million blind & visually impaired people exist in Punjab of which an estimated 1.2 million are blind . An additional 120,000 go blind every year. The good news is that 80% of blindness is curable. In addition to the blind, there are approximately 11 million people with impaired vision who may become blind if they do not get appropriate treatment in time. So there is a huge amount of work to be done in this area relating to eye diseases .
There is no eye hospital in the area and recent studies indicate a surge in eye related problems in smaller cities and towns of Pakistan. LRBT, known for its free eye services does not only treat the underprivileged but also helps increase awareness of eye related issues. Cataract is a major cause of blindness in Pakistan due to lack of facilities and treatment available for the poor.This hospital will offer free treatment of numerous eye diseases.
A rigorous assessment of need, including analysis of blindness data, cataract surgical rate, poverty indicators, lack of availability of medical facilities was undertaken and the project area was identified to be RYK where the poverty rate is high. it is because of accessibility issues and lack of affordability that the poor and disadvantaged people suffer from eye related health issues. It will serve the catchment areas and the poor will not need to traverse long distances for treatment.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
