Around three lakh patients with eyesight complications, especially those suffering from retinopathy disease, will receive eye care services from a newly introduced mobile eye care project in the country.
Under the project, which is run by two mobile diabetic retinopathy screening and treatment units, services can be provided to 250 patients per day.
The project styled “BADAS-ORBIS Eye Care Project” was unveiled at the office of Bangladesh Institute of Health Sciences Hospital, a sister concern of Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (BADAS), which will run it for the next two and half years.
The association will primarily work in Dhaka and then move to other parts of the country, said Sayed Foysal Ahmed, project manager of eye care plan.
For the first time BADAS has taken an initiative to provide eye care services at district level, he added.
Along retinopathy disease, other common eye diseases such as peripheral neuropathy and cataract will be diagnosed under the project.
The aim of the project is to prevent blindness due to diabetic retinopathy in underserved areas of the country by increased access to eye care, screening and treatment services.
According to BADAS, around six percent of the total population is suffering from diabetes in the country. This number is around 5.7 million and 25 percent of them are susceptible to retinopathy disease.
Prof AK Azad Khan, president of BADAS, said the mobile eye care services would continue through different works after the expiry of the current project.
World Diabetes Foundation is funding the project.
-With The Daily Star input
