Bashundhara Group provides free eye care for 300 school children

Bashundhara Eye Hospital and Research Institute provided free eye care to around 300 young students at Reverie School in the capital on Monday to detect vision problems early.
Held at the school campus in Bashundhara Residential Area from 10am to 2pm, the screening camp catered for children from playgroup to nursery. Students underwent visual acuity tests using Snellen charts, while specialists examined the cornea, iris, and lens using slit-lamp microscopy.
Dr Tasruba Shahnaz, a consultant at the institute, noted that preliminary tests revealed nearly half the children suffered from previously undetected refractive errors. She attributed rising ocular discomfort and vision problems to excessive screen time, limited outdoor play, and prolonged focus on close objects.
"Symptoms such as headaches, eye strain, watery eyes, and watching television from too close often signal underlying issues like myopia," Dr Shahnaz explained, adding that uncorrected nearsightedness severely hinders classroom performance.
Senior Medical Officer Dr Md Ahnak Shahriar emphasised the importance of early diagnosis for myopia and hypermetropia to ensure normal visual development and prevent long-term retinal complications. He advised annual eye check-ups for children before they begin formal schooling.
Mohammad Ismail Hossain, head of the Hifzul Quran department at Reverie School, shared that his own child was diagnosed during the camp. "Children rarely articulate vision difficulties, so these issues often go unnoticed by parents," he said, thanking the organisers for raising awareness  on screen limits and outdoor play.
The screening was conducted under the vision of Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and supervised by the Vision Care Foundation. Since 2014, the foundation and hospital have delivered free nationwide ophthalmic services, including specialist consultations, medicines, and fully funded surgeries for cataracts and other complex conditions.