PESHAWAR, Dec 16: Peshawar University vice-chancellor Dr Haroon Rasheed has extended support to the Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology (Pico) in the area of academic research.

Speaking at a ceremony of the Pico held for certificate distribution at the Hayatabad Medical Complex on Saturday, he said that the institute was working for the prevention of blindness in Pakistan and developing and Muslim countries since 1990.

He said that it offered specialised courses for ophthalmologists and mid-level eye care workers in the field of community eye health.

The institute has trained 84 doctors in its one-year masters of community eye health course from Pakistan and other developing countries like Nigeria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, he said.

It has also trained more than 500 ophthalmic technicians, optometrist and ophthalmic nurses, he said.

Dr Haroon Rasheed distributed course completion certificates among the students.