Al-Shifa Trust has acquired most-advanced German and Swiss lasers, the latest technology for corneal eyesight surgery. These lasers are used for removal of glasses as well as cataract and corneal surgeries. Maj. Gen(Retired) Rehmat president Al Shifa Trust told a group of senior journalists while briefing about the services of the trust in 2021.He said that the trust has also established a Chemotherapy Unit to treat children suffering from various type of eye cancers at its Rawalpindi Children’s eye hospital.
The facility, the first of its kind in Pakistan,was inaugurated last week,he told. President of the Trust Major Gen. (Retired) Rehmat Khan speaking at the briefing, said that we are in the continuous process of upgrading our hospital to provide the best care to the people. The Chemotherapy facility is another step towards treating all forms of eye cancers under one roof, he said, adding that free-of-cost treatment was provided to two patients on the day of inauguration. Major Gen. (Retired) Rehmat Khan said that the trust has helped the people during the pandemic and over one hundred of our doctors and para-medical staff contracted infection while few died of it and we are proud of all those who continued to serve in challenging times.
He informed that the trust has served approximately 400,220 patients in OPD, performed 55,600 surgeries during 2021 while over 80 percent of patients were treated free of cost.
Two vaccination centres were established; one for administering privately imported vaccines and the other for international Phase III trials and we accomplished targets in record time which was acknowledged by all the stakeholders, he said. Al-Shifa mobile vaccination teams ensured door to door COVID-19 vaccination and provided 20,000 doses in rural areas of Muzaffarabad, Sukkar, Kohat and Rawalpindi, he added. He informed that in 2021, a new eye hospital was made operational in Chakwal which can serve 500 OPD patients and conduct 50 surgeries daily and in August 2021, Asia’s biggest Children Eye Hospital with a capacity of treating 150,000 children annually opened its doors. Al-Shifa Trust has also started the trial of the latest eye drops for the removal of reading glasses and modern imaging and exclusive radiation therapy for eye cancer patients will also be available soon, he informed. Al-Shifa Trust’s Cornea department has become the only department in the country to offer a wide range of laser-assisted corneal transplantation to privileged and underprivileged patients alike, on regular basis so that they can regain their vision.
