Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque Monday said community vision centres will gradually be set up in every upazila throughout the country to ensure eye treatment for all.
“50 community vision centres have already been set up. At present, activities to set up 150 more community vision centres are underway. Eye treatment in Bangladesh has reached the international standards,” he said.
The health minister came up with the statements at a discussion marking World Sight Day at National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital. Prof. Dr. Golam Mostafa, director of the Institute, chaired the programme.Health Service Division Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry Md Ashadul Islam, Prof. Dr. Deen Md. Noorul Huq, former Director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital and President of Ophthalmological Society of Bangladesh (OSB) Prof Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed were present on the occasion.
According to experts, about 750,000 people in Bangladesh are suffering from blindness while approximately 253 million people in the world live with moderate to severe vision impairment.
