PESHAWAR, Oct 9: NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah Khan has said that 80 per cent people suffer from eye diseases that are preventable and can be checked through mass media campaigns.

He was speaking at a seminar entitled “World sight day: role of media to create awareness about preventable blindness” here on Thursday.

Mr Khan said the increasing number of patients suffering from eye diseases could be stemmed through better eye care.

To curb the ever-increasing number of diseases, he said, better  oordination among the government, media and NGOs was important.

Despite limited resources, he said, the government was making efforts to provide health care facilities to the masses.

 He assured health care professionals of the government’s full cooperation in ensuring better health facilities for the people.

He said the media was not highlighting the positive steps taken by the government.

According to him, Pakistan had a very effective eye care programme at the national level.

He also informed that very soon eye care centres would be established in all provinces and the AJK.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Mohammad Daud Khan said according to the WHO, good health meant physical, mental and social wellbeing.

He said that there were more than 45 million blind people in the world out of which two million lived in Pakistan.

The WHO’s consultant Dr Para Raja Segram and Dr Mohammad Aman Safi also spoke on the occasion.