Al-Shifa’s Chakwal facility expanded to treat 500 eye patients daily

CHAKWAL: Following the completion of its extension block, Chakwal Eye Hospital will now treat up to 500 eye patients daily, says Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital President Maj. Gen. (Retd) Rehmat Khan.
Maj Gen Khan addressing the media, explained that the hospital was originally designed to cater to 250 patients per day, but due to an overwhelming influx of patients, temporary arrangements had to be made. 
He said that financial constraints had previously prevented the hospital from extending and upgrading its facilities, but a California-based Pakistani doctor, Nasir Baz, who belonged to a village in Chakwal, donated Rs150 million, facilitating the completion of the hospital's expansion and upgrade within two years .
"Thanks to Dr. Baz’s generosity, our Chakwal hospital can now accommodate 500 patients daily and provide round-the-clock emergency eye care services," Maj. Gen. Khan said.
He added that the number of retinal and glaucoma surgeries will increase to 40 per day, in addition to the daily treatment of 30 to 40 glaucoma patients who do not require surgery.
To enhance community outreach, an outreach team will be deployed in Chakwal villages to conduct school screenings and provide transportation facility to serious patients, he said.
Over the past 30 years, Al-Shifa Trust has treated 30 million patients free of charge, at a cost of Rs13 billion, including thousands of surgeries for glaucoma, retina, and cancer, Gen Khan concluded.