RAWALPINDI, APR 30 /DNA/ – In a decisive step toward reducing avoidable blindness in underserved regions of the country, the Al-Shifa Trust (AST) has launched a fully equipped mobile operation theatre (OT) donated by the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL).
The high-tech unit comprising three fully trucks will bring life-changing eye surgeries to the doorsteps of those who cannot afford travel or access to hospitals located in major cities, significantly improving their quality of life.
At the handover ceremony held at THQ Hospital Fateh Jang, Major General (Retd.) Rehmat Khan, President of Al-Shifa Trust, called the mobile OT “a beacon of hope” for rural communities.
He said that through our Al-Shifa Centre for Community Ophthalmology (ACCO), we are committed to reaching people where help is needed most.
The AST operates one of the country’s most extensive outreach programs for preventing blindness. During the 2024–25 financial year, nearly 360,000 schoolchildren were screened for vision problems, he informed.
Maj. Gen. Rehmat Khan added that 700 eye camps have already been held this year, a 30% increase over last year, and we are determined to go further in our mission to prevent avoidable blindness.
He informed that the mobile unit, built to international standards, can perform up to 100 eye surgeries daily in areas lacking surgical facilities.
Dr. Muhammad Najam Ul Hasnat, the outreach program’s general manager, said this mobile OT is sterile, self-contained, and ready to serve communities in even the most remote locations.
OGDCL Managing Director Mr. Ahmed Hayat Lak, who was chief guest at the occasion, highlighted the organization’s longstanding support of Al-Shifa Trust. He said that since 2017, we’ve sponsored 160 surgical camps, enabled 28,000 surgeries, treated over 260,000 patients, and screened 75,000 schoolchildren.
Mr. Ahmed Hayat Lak added that the mobile unit will enhance time management and bring new dimensions to the cause. He expressed pride in working with A-Shifa Trust and affirmed a commitment to strengthening cooperation with the trust.
Doctors, paramedics, and local officials attended the event, which concluded with an on-site eye camp. All the surgeries including cataract procedures were successfully performed in the new mobile unit, marking the beginning of a new chapter of eye care in remote areas.
It is worth mentioning that that nearly 80 percent of patients receive free treatment at trust-run hospitals in Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Kohat, Sukkur, Muzaffarabad, and Gilgit. The trust’s new facility in Lahore is slated to open by 2027 benefitting millions.
