Take eye care facilities to rural people: Experts

Ophthalmologists at a conference in the city stressed on Monday  reaching eye care facilities to rural people as they suffer more than urban ones from various eye problems caused by malnutrition, reports UNB.

They said as the marginal poor cannot afford enough nutritious food, they frequently face eye complications while most of them suffer from low vision. So, eye care service should be taken to the doorsteps of marginal people, they said.

The International NGO Forum for Eye Health and the National Eye Care (NEC) of the government jointly organised the two-day conference on 'Vision 2020' at Spectra Convention Centre in the capital, marking the World Sight Day.

Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Deen Mohd Noorul Huq, co-chair for South East Asia Region of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) Dr Abu Raihan and country director of Orbis International-Bangladesh Dr Munir Ahmed spoke at the inaugural session of the conference held with line director of National Eye Care (NEC) and director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital Prof Dr Jalal Ahmed in the chair.

Prof Noorul Huq said retaining ophthalmologists at the district level is a big challenge. "All concerned need to work to overcome the situation and achieve the goal of Vision 2020."

Highlighting the progress achieved in the field of ophthalmology in Bangladesh, the DGHS director general said eye care services are going to rural areas.

He praised the local and international organisations and agencies working in the eye care sector and the public-private partnership for their contribution to the field.

Abu Raihan focused on the activities of IAPB and presented a paper titled, 'Preparing for the Epidemic: Diabetes and Blindness'.