ONE LAST THOUGHT I shall pass through this world but once. Any good that I can do or any help that I can give to my fellow beings, let me do it now. Now; for I shall not pass this way again. Stephen Grellet (1773 - 1855) A public service project: Sponsored by Getz Pharma Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd Designed by Creative Unit (Pvt.) Ltd Photographed by Jamshyd Masud k p . THE LAYTON RAHMATULLA BENEVOLENT TRUST g Pakistan r rd LRBT House, 37-C, Sunset Lane 4, o ANNUAL Phase-II, Extension, D.H.A . P.O. Box 7684, Karachi-75500, Pakistan t b Highest in3 the world REPORT r Toll free No : 0800-44441 l Phone : 92 (0) 21 35396600-5 (Lines) . with Impaired Vision Patients 2018 Fax : 92 (0) 21 35396606-35396301 w E-mail : [email protected] Website : www.lrbt.org.pk w facebook : Lrbt.Pakistan w Pakistan rd 3 ANNUAL Highest in the world REPORT with Impaired Vision Patients 2018 Pakistan rd LRBT with its vast, 3Highest in widest coverage in eye care is able to counter the world this high penetration with Impaired with 19 hospitals and 56 eye centers across Vision Patients Pakistan offering treatment for all eye related diseases. Our patients are But Our expert doctors poorest of the and state of the poor and have no art equipment have played a vital role in accessibility 50% reduction in and affordability to blindness since LRBT’s health care inception. The major cause of this is the inadequate spend on health by the Government: Cataract is the Pakistan has the 0.49% of GDP main cause of dubious distinction versus a minimum blindness followed of having third requirement of 5% by Glaucoma, Age highest population Related Macular of blind & impaired Degeneration & vision individuals in Corneal Opacity the world Blindness & Impaired Vision: A Major Public Health Problem 3 Million Children are either blind or visually impaired Pakistan is suffering Refractive Errors from a virtual diabetic & Cataract are the epidemic with around As a consequence Blind: 2 million main causes of 17% of the adult population 11% of our of which 51% impaired vision (35 million) suffering from it. population suffers are women 30% of patients who have uncontrolled diabetes will from blindness or Impaired Vision: impaired vision 21 million develop diabetic retinopathy, an irreversible blinding disease LRBT is the backbone of eye care in Pakistan treating Our network of over 3 million patients every 75 facilities - In the 33 years year. This is 36 % of all eye 19 hospitals, of our existence patients visiting hospitals or 52 primary eye care we have treated clinics for treatment which clinics & 4 outreach 39 million makes us the largest centres - cover 68% patients free provider of eye care not only of the population. of cost. in Pakistan but in the world. LRB T: the backbon eof Eye car einPakistan To deal with this critical public health issue, we have in the last 15 years, G Refractive Errors not only expanded our G Cataract Surgeries footprint with a new G Glaucoma hospital being opened We cover G Corneal Transplants every 15 months but also the entire expanded 11 of our existing G Age Related Macular range of eye Degeneration hospitals as well as the diseases range of eye diseases G Diabetic Retinopathy being treated. G Vitreo retinal surgeries G Laser Procedures G Squint V ision LRBT is committed to creating a better Pakistan by preventing the suffering caused by blindness and other eye ailments. To this end it will provide state of the art comprehensive free eye-care for the poor across Pakistan, in keeping with its tradition of excellence, efficiency and compassion for all. M ission No man/woman or child should go blind just because they cannot afford the treatment. F ounding principles All treatment at LRBT should be totally free for the 1 poor so that no man, woman or child becomes blind Graham Layton just because they cannot afford the treatment. an d Treatment should be appropriate, state-of-the-art. 2 Charity should not mean second-rate treatment. Zaka rahmatuLLa There should be no discrimination due to gender, 3 caste, ethnicity, language, religion or sect. Established the Layton rahmatulla Benevolent Patients should be treated with compassion trust in 1984, laying down an inspiring vision, 4 and dignity. an audacious mission and 4 founding values. Mubasher 19 years, Keratoplasty A series of catastrophes reduced Mubasher’s family to virtual starvation. His father was diagnosed with kidney problems and lost his job due to his deteriorating health; his mother was asthmatic and often fell sick. There was suddenly no bread earner. His grandfather who had retired started supporting their family by A running a scrap material cart. But it was not enough for a family of 6. Being the eldest Mubasher felt duty bound to help augment the family income so he switched to the afternoon shift in his charity run vocational institute and took up a job as a trainer in a small driving school in the locality in the morning. Unfortunately his troubles had not ended: his vision became hazy. On his teacher’s advice he consulted an ophthalmologist who told him that he was suffering from Keratoconus in both eyes and needed cornea implants. The cost was Rs 300,000. He was devastated to hear the news as this was beyond his ability to raise. He had to share this with his family as he was the only hope for their future and the key earner for his ailing parents and young siblings. All their hopes had suddenly shattered. He dropped out from the institute and started getting serious warnings from his workplace. Mubasher shared his medical condition with his employer and requested assistance. The employer took him & his grandfather to LRBT where the head of the cornea subspeciality confirmed the diagnosis but advised that due to dearth of corneas in Pakistan and non- availability of local donors he would have to wait until cornea tissues were arranged. After an agonizing wait & fervent prayers they heard the good news that APPNA, the Association of Physicians of Pakistani descent in America were donating corneas. His parents couldn’t believe their ears as with passing time their distress and poverty had increased. Mubasher had a successful corneal transplant in the right eye and will be returning in future for the same operation in his left eye. Hope was once again in the air. The clouds of despair had lifted thanks to LRBT and its free services for the poor as there is no other institution in the country which could have given them such complicated and expensive medical treatment free. Meherman Quetta, MIVS (Micro incision vitrectomy surgery) Meherman a 6 year old girl from Nushki a village near Quetta had been facing eye issues since she was 4. Youngest of the 4 siblings she was the most pampered and the apple of her parent’s eyes. Her father Karam Khan a daily wage earner and the only bread winner for a family of 7 members was very concerned about his daughter’s eye ailment but could not gather enough M funds to take her to a specialized facility. Random hakeem’s, neighborhood doctors and their medications resulted in exhausting their meagre saving as well as the loan they took. Seeing his daughter’s pain, Karam Khan was extremely distressed and felt totally helpless for not being able to get his daughter treated. He was on the verge of nervous breakdown when his and the family’s prayers were answered. His uncle visiting from Quetta seeing Meherman’s condition offered to take them along and get Meherman treated at LRBT Quetta. Upon hearing the good news, her poor mother’s face started glowing with happiness. Meherman had almost lost vision in her right eye due to a retinal problem. After initial examination the doctor referred her to LRBT’s Tertiary hospital in Karachi specialized in Retinal and other eye diseases where poor patients were treated free of cost. Her parents sold the only asset they had; her mother’s wedding ornaments so they could travel to Karachi. After preliminary examination she was diagnosed as a case of perforation with severe eye infection which was likely to result in total loss of eye. She was immediately admitted as an emergency case and her retinal surgery (MIVS) was carried out under general anesthesia. Thanks to the doctor’s expertise not only the integrity of the eye ball was salvaged and at the same time partial visual recovery was achieved. If this timely surgery had not taken place she could have faced complications such as glaucoma. Her eye would have started to shrink too and would be disfigured for life. Meherman with her eye saved has gone back to her village. Her father had tears in his eyes while leaving LRBT, giving heartfelt thanks to everyone for saving his daughter's vision for free. Kehkashan 8 years old, Glaucoma 8 Years old Kehkashan, a student of 2nd grade, is the younger of the two female siblings in a family of 6. Her father is blind having lost his vision due to bilateral glaucoma a few years ago. Her mother, the sole breadwinner, works in a garment factory in Landhi and 8 resides in a rented house. Kehkashan, since childhood had bilateral developmental cataracts. She was operated in a local clinic early in her life but it was unsuccessful: loss of vision in her left eye and partial recovery in her right eye. When she was 6 years old she suffered a second set back as the vision in her precious only eye deteriorated further.