PESHAWAR, April 28: An eye bank -- Comprehensive Corneal Service -- was launched here on Monday by the Comprehensive Health Education Forum (CHEF) International in collaboration with the Chirstoffel Blinden Mission (CBM) of Germany, Tilganga Eye Centre of Nepal and the Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology (Pico).

The eye bank is housed in the Hayatabad Medical Complex and will be managed by the CHEF International and Pico. Ms Tanja Kern, regional director of the CBM, inaugurated the centre.

The CHEF International will initially work towards bringing cornea from Nepal and later advocate for a local corneal donation programme.

The eye bank has been named after Prof Murad Ali, who after his death had left some money for its establishment. The eye bank will also undertake health education and operational research programmes and provide opportunities for training at the Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology.

Dr Mohammad Babar Qureshi, chief executive officer of the CHEF International, told a press briefing that before the launch of the eye bank, corneal implantation was done on individual basis which cast approximately Rs40,000 to Rs50,000. The bank, he said, would do the implantation on collective basis which would cast less than Rs15,000. He said the bank would do corneal implantation of the poor for free. —Bureau Report