Ophthalmologists urged to hold regular rural eye camps

BSS, Dhaka :
President Abdul Hamid on Monday urged ophthalmologists to organize regular eye camps in remote areas with the spirit of professional commitment and responsibility to general people for reaching eye treatment at doorsteps of the helpless and the poor people.
“Healthcare is a basic need of people. Patients of rural areas are deprived of healthcare as most of the specialist physicians stay in urban areas,” he said while addressing the fifth annual conference of Bangladesh Community Ophthalmological Society (BCOS) at city a hotel.
Health Minister Mohammad Nasim spoke as the special guest while BCOS President Professor Dr Sharfuddin Ahmed was in the chair.
Professor Syed Modasser Ali, Director General of Health Directorate Deen Mohammad Noorul Huq and BCOS secretary General Dr Iamur Rahman Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion. President Abdul Hamid said the physicians are meritorious and knowledgeable persons of the society and for that they have more responsibilities. “Your role in building the nation is praiseworthy apart from providing treatment,” he said. The President expressed his believe that physicians will reach healthcare to the deprived, destitute and helpless people of the society by keeping the torch of humanity illuminating. Noting that the present government is committed to reach healthcare to the doorstep of people, the President expressed his hope that physicians will pay special attention so that poor faction of the population at the community level easily gets modern treatment.
During taking treatment, the President said patients are asked to do unnecessary pathological tests which are expensive. In many cases, the poor people of the villages have either no scope or capacity to take the services, he said.
“I believe ophthalmologists will be more caring in this regard inspired by the responsibility towards the country and its people,” the President said.
President Hamid said Bangladesh government has signed on the global campaign titled Vision 2020: The Right to Sight, conducted by World Health Organization and other bodies.
Referring to last national survey, the President said seven lakh of people aged 30 or above are victims of blindness. “Curable blindness is a large challenge for public health of Bangladesh,” he said.
President Abdul Hamid hoped that the country’s ophthalmologists will be enriched by today’s conference, attended by national and international eye specialists.