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April 24, 2003
The gift of sight
Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, the Al -Ibrahim Eye Hospital focuses its energies on providing the best eye care and research, writes Gloria Caleb
Built in serene rural surroundings away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the Al- Ibrahim Eye Hospital in Malir has an ideal location, but its remoteness is also a handicap. Though public transport is available and a few buses run on that route, the distance puts off the patients. Dr Mohammad Saleh Memon, director of the Isra Foundation which owns the hospital, feels that many more people would visit the health facility had it been situated somewhere in the city centre.
And yet, a sea of faces crowds the place. It is not really surprising, given the high incidence of vision impairment in Pakistan — said to be 3.65 per cent. There is an urgent need to make eye care accessible to more people. Only 20 per cent of those suffering from eye diseases are treated by the public sector hospitals. It is left to the private institutions, especially low-cost hospitals and clinics as this one in Malir, to provide care to the overwhelming majority of the poor.
A project of the Isra Islamic Foundation (Hyderabad) and the Al-Basr International foundation (Saudi Arabia), Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital has also been working diligently towards the prevention of blindness in Pakistan. Its branches extend far and wide in countries such as Sudan (Khartoum), Yemen (Sana), Bangladesh (Dhaka) and Afghanistan (Jalalabad). The eye camps which are organized nationally and internationally on a regular basis in almost 36 countries in Asia and Africa enable Isra to reach out to more and more people.
“It all began almost 14 years ago when we organized the first national eye camp in Pakistan under the banner of Isra Islamic Foundation,” says Dr Saleh Memon. “And since then it has been a non-stop journey on to a rugged path, to help prevent blindness in the Islamic world.” The path is definitely rugged if one keeps in view the paucity of funds. Another problem is the lack of well-trained professionals since they cost money. Dr Memon is proud of his team of well-trained professionals: six senior consultants, six junior consultants, two community ophthalmologists, twenty residents, eight medical officers, five house officers and sixty-two technicians. The support staff consists of 32 people who take care of the administration and security of the hospital.
With its eyes on the future Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital also trains doctors and paramedics. A four year residency programme leads to MCPS, FCPS, FRCS and MS degrees. “This is what makes us different from several other charitable organizations for eye diseases. They are basically care providers whereas we provide training not only to our own staff but also to the employees of other organizations,” says Dr Memon.
The hospital is actively involved in research and rehabilitation as well. Currently its research focuses on investigating the prevalence of retinopathy in known diabetics. Another project is concentrating on high, medium and low cost intraocular lens (IOL). A school-screening programme is also in progress to diagnose and address various eye diseases in school going children.
As they wait to be attended, the patients display no impatience. When their turn comes, they are assured of the best medical care. A patient who has travelled all the way from Multan is full of praise for the doctors and the care he has received. Dr Hameed, one of the members of the staff, nods his head in agreement.
Consultation and medication is completely free of cost, yet, patients have to pay a measly amount for surgery and advanced services such as angiographies, laser treatment and ultrasound. This fact was certified by Saeb Bibi from Khuzdar, Balochistan. “I only paid for the operation as I could afford it. The consultation and medication was completely free.”
Nonetheless, the treatment is subsidized to almost 50 per cent through zakat and donations for patients who cannot afford to pay. “At times the organization completely subsidizes all surgery charges”, says Dr Abdul Hameed, assistant medical superintendent at Al-Ibrahim.
According to Dr Memon, the hospital is basically a welfare organization and provides treatment to over 400 patients each day. These patients belong to all strata of society, however, an overwhelming majority is unable to pay. “We try our best to help all the patients who cannot pay for treatment at this hospital. However, at times we find ourselves constrained. For example, we usually help people through zakat funds. But then zakat is only permissible to people in specified conditions. Similarly non-Muslims are also excluded from the zakat scheme. That is why we try to raise donations from NGOs and philanthropists.”
As Dr Memon and his team struggle to keep the costs low, they face tremendous pressure from international bodies such as the World Health Organization and various donors to cut subsidies and make the hospital self reliant by generating funds. But Dr Memon is of the view, that in a country with almost 40 per cent of the population living below the poverty line, attaining this target is next to impossible.
With almost 20 surgeries at hand each day and almost 400 visitors to the OPD, the workload of the doctors and paramedic staff increases by the minute. As Dr Abdul Hameed puts it, “We try our best to provide our patients with the highest standard of treatment. However, sometimes we feel that had we more time and resources we could have done better.”
No doubt any organization with more resources and time is sure to perform better. In spite of these constraints, the hospital has acquired a good reputation. Jehangir Khan, a patient who hails from Kabul, is highly satisfied. “I came all the way from Kabul, because I heard that the doctors here were very helpful and professional. I’ve had surgery now and am well taken care of. When I go back I will tell all my friends and relatives about this hospital.”
That is exactly how Al-Ibrahim hospital attracts its clientele — by word of mouth. “We’ve never advertized nor have we got much publicity in the newspapers. It’s only through word of mouth that people learn about this place,” asserts Dr Memon.
It is not just the good professional care they get that makes the patients its most ardent advocates. It is also the fact that they are not charged for this.
Dr Saleh Memon has a dream. “In the future I see this eye care centre as a huge hundred bedded hospital, equipped with modern amenities,” he says. But for the dream to be realized his organization would need extensive funding.
Will this be forthcoming? Dr Memon believes that little drops of water make the mighty ocean. “Even a small donation from every person who can afford to pay can give the gift of sight to the blind,” he says. “I wish people would understand that even that drop in the ocean matters to us. The day this happens most welfare organizations would head towards self reliance,” he concludes.
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