Project to provide state of the art ophthalmologic facilities to the people of far-flung areas has been launched in collaboration with the financial assistance of Australia which has pumped in dollars 5 million.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed expressed these views at a seminar held at the Institute of Ophthalmology Mayo Hospital to observe the World Sight Day here on Thursday.
Punjab Health Secretary Sohail Ahmed, Dr Fateh Khan Akhtar, Dr Khalif Biley and representatives of local and international NGOs were present at the seminar.
The Minister hoped that the project would provide better and inexpensive medical facilities to the poor living in far-flung areas, he said adding that blindness would be totally wiped out from the country in 2020, he added.
He termed sudden rise of cataract disease in the country was a serious problem, as lack of Vitamin A had become a serious problem due to poverty. Spread of cataract was a great concern, as 66 percent out of 1.5 million lost their sight as a result of cataract which was curable in Pakistan.