RAWALPINDI, July 18: The Baluchistan governor, Lt-Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch (retired), on Friday emphasized the need for checking widespread eye ailments in the country since one out of every 10 persons had a serious vision problem.

Speaking at a ceremony held during his visit to the Al-Shifa Eye Trust Hospital, he also announced the establishment of an eye hospital at Quetta with the help of the Al-Shifa Trust.

During the governor’s visit it was decided that the Trust would chalk out ophthalmic training activities in Quetta in addition to organizing eye camps in Baluchistan with the consent of the authorities concerned. The Trust would also conduct training programme for the doctors of Baluchistan.

The governor said eye ailments were the major public health problems in the country, especially in the rural areas, where most of the people reside and where the delivery of primary health care had been the weakest.

The governor the Al-Shifa’s role in pursuing a policy to strengthen eye treatment facilities in different district and Tehsil level hospitals of the Punjab.

He also appreciated the outreach programme of the hospital to alleviate the sufferings of the poor.

He was told that so far Al-Shifa had provided outdoor treatment to about 900,000 patients while it operated 200,000 patients, out of which 85 per cent were done totally free while 12 per cent of them on subsidized costs.

Earlier, welcoming the chief guest, Gen Jahan Dad Khan, presented a briefing about the activities of the Trust with particular reference to strengthening of district and Tehsil level facilities in Balochistan.