A team of Pakistani doctors will perform free eye surgery in Anjamina, Chad’s capital city. They are also educating local medical professionals in order to strengthen Chad’s healthcare system.
The Free Eye Camp of Pakistani Ophthalmologists is a collaboration between the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), the Islamic Development Bank, and the Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust.
The team intends to undertake approximately 400 free procedures in the next few days. They will also undertake post-operative evaluations to ensure that patients recover quickly and will run an awareness campaign to teach young people about how to avoid blindness.
COMSTECH has also developed a two-year postgraduate training programme to boost ophthalmological expertise in Africa. In conjunction with the Islamic Development Bank, sixteen African ophthalmologists will undergo training in diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma surgery at local institutions.
Last year, the Pakistani medical team organised a similar free eye camp in Niamey, Niger’s capital. Their commitment to preventing blindness and improving eye care has gained them national and international acclaim.