27 February 2005	Sunday	17 Muharram 1426

KARACHI, Feb 26: The Sindh Institute of Urology Transplantation director, Prof Adibul Hasan Rizvi, has stressed on the government, NGOs and private sector to promote organ transplantation not only in kidney but also in other parts of the body to save patients lives.

He was speaking on the inauguration of "KAROPHTH-2005" held here on theme "Cornea and refractive surgery" by the Ophthalmology Society of Pakistan here on Saturday.

Dr Rizvi said that medicines required after transplantation were unaffordable for poor patients. He urged the government to allocate more funds for the treatment of such patients. "In foreign countries, government, NGOs and private sector are playing their due role with dedication, but this is not seen often in Pakistan," he added.

He also emphasized that awareness of renal grafting should be created among general public.

Dr Nazir Ashraf Leghari, the OSP's president, said that Pakistan was not behind of any developed country as retina grafting had also been started in Sindh.

Dr Muhammad Sharif Hashmani, OSP Karachi general secretary, said that 50,000 people were going blind every year in Pakistan, which included the corneal blinds, blindness due to cataract, glaucoma and diabetes.

"Blindness due to diabetes is increasing. The scenario in urban areas has definitely changed and we are seeing more people going blind because of diabetes as compared to other reasons," he said.--PPI