Officials discuss establishing eye bank

A key meeting aimed at establishing South Punjab Eye Bank was held here Tuesday with Commissioner Aamir Kareem Khan in the chair, witnessing detailed discussions on its framework, operational mechanism, and administrative structure

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Mar, 2026) A key meeting aimed at establishing South Punjab Eye Bank was held here Tuesday with Commissioner Aamir Kareem Khan in the chair, witnessing detailed discussions on its framework, operational mechanism, and administrative structure.

Commissioner Khan stated that effective counseling will be used to promote cornea donation, ensuring timely treatment for patients in need. He directed that trained volunteers and healthcare professionals be engaged for this purpose.

He announced that the project will be formally structured as a trust immediately after Eid to ensure sustainability and institutional continuity. It was also agreed that the scope of the trust may be expanded to include other health-related services in the future.

The commissioner instructed authorities to ensure immediate registration and operationalization of the project, emphasizing training, awareness campaigns, and linkages with national and international organizations.

During the briefing, Dr. Rashid Qamar highlighted that due to the absence of an eye bank in South Punjab, patients rely on corneas sourced from abroad.

He identified infections, malnutrition, and lack of awareness as major causes of blindness in the region.

He further informed that over 303 corneal transplants have been successfully performed at Nishtar Hospital, while more than 160 patients are currently on the waiting list. He emphasized that the availability of corneas remains the biggest challenge.

Dr. Rashid Qamar added that the establishment of an eye bank will enable local retrieval and preservation of corneas, while modern equipment, ultra-low temperature freezers, and a trained surgical team are already in place.

He noted that even a small number of consented donations from daily mortality cases can help restore vision to dozens of patients.

The meeting began with a prayer (Fateha) for the late Jalaluddin Rumi.

The meeting was attended by Majid Fakhri, Khawaja Najam, Khawaja Azhar, Faisal Saeed, Rahman Naseem, and other stakeholders.