Political impediments hamper Sindh’s blindness prevention program

KARACHI: A fundamental goal of the Prevention and Control of Blindness (PCB) was to prevent people in Sindh from several ophthalmological or eye related ailments, said former program manager Dr Idress Adhi in a conversation with Geo News.

The program was started in the early 90's when the National Survey for Blindness and Low Vision was conducted. According to that survey there was 1.78 per cent of prevalence of blindness reported

Launched in 2008 with the aim of providing relief to people with eye ailments, Dr Adhi said initially the program operated smoothly.

However, due to political impediments the program could not achieve its goals despite in 2012, PC 1 and Rs 330 million with sanction for staff facility being approved.

While asked about PCB, Sindh Health Minister Dr Sikander Ali Mendro replied that a committee under senior health expert Dr Saleh Memon had been formed which would take the issue up with the assembly for the changing of the by-laws of PCB 

In Sindh six per cent of population is having different eye issues and they are on the border of blindness and just a slight effort by the government will make their life colourful, Dr Idrees Adhi said.