LAHORE, Nov 18: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi will lay the foundation of Punjab Institute of Preventive Ophthalmology (PIPO) on Wednesday (today).

The institute will impart quality training to the people working in the field at various levels.

The PIPO was notified by the end of June this year as the government upgraded Comprehensive Eye Care Cell (CEC-Cell), Punjab.

Cell in-charge Prof Dr Asad Aslam Khan, who is also coordinator of the WHO programme for prevention of blindness in Pakistan, will be the project director.

The PIPO will be built on a vacant piece of land in front of Mayo Hospital ophthalmology department. The project has been a part of the ADP 2003-04 following approval of its PC-1.

Prof Khan said 28 ophthalmologists had been trained in micro-surgery by the CEC-Cell since its establishment in May, 1999. The cell had also provided microscopes and other eye surgery instruments donated by Australia, to 28 DHQ hospitals in the Punjab. It had also upgraded eye department of Rajanpur and Gujranwala DHQ Hospitals.

He said the cell had initiated an ophthalmic technician course in the public sector in the province. It had also set up a low vision centre and a glaucoma diagnosis and research centre in the public sector.

The cell performed 1,400 free cataract operations in 2001 and 2002 besides organizing 38 eye camps in 28 DHQ hospitals. It also offered training to teachers of the Government Training College for Teachers of the Blind.

Prof Khan said a Centre for Childhood Blindness would also be established under the PIPO.

He said the PIPO would set up an Ophthalmic Research Centre, a Wet Lab to teach surgical skills to specialists at secondary level, an IOL bank to provide lenses at low price, a centre for manufacturing low price glasses for schoolchildren and an eye bank.