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) The Aging aEye The Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust LRBT 2012 Report Annual FREE EYE CARE 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 in keeping with its tradition of excellence, efficiency and compassion for all. A public service project: Sponsored by Getz Pharma Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd Designed by Creative Unit (Pvt.) Ltd Photographed by Jamshyd Masud The LayTon RahmaTuLLa BenevoLenT TRusT LRBT House, 37-C, Sunset Lane 4, Phase-II, Extension, D.H.A P.O. Box 7684, Karachi-75500, Pakistan Toll free No : 0800-44441 Phone : 92 (0) 21 35396600-5 (Lines) Fax : 92 (0) 21 35396606-7 E-mail : [email protected] Website : www.lrbt.org.pk OurmMission No man, woman or child should go blind just because they cannot afford the treatment. LRBT ANNUAL REPORT 2012 The Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust Of your five senses, which one are you most afraid of losing? If you are like most people, the answer is the ability to see. Sight is precious. Like other parts of the body, the eyes start to undergo changes as they age. Our eyes change as we get older. The cornea becomes more opaque, the lens absorbs more light, and the pupil diameter decreases. Eyesight deteriorates with age. As we age, natural physical changes of the human eye diminish our visual abilities. Vision worsens with time. In fact, vision problems are one of the first signs of aging. Many people have to start wearing glasses between the ages 5of 40 and 50 because of failing eyesight. Some of the disorders that pose a threat to vision as we grow older are: l Cataracts Age is the main risk factor for these l Glaucoma diseases. For example, l Age-related Macular half of the people between the ages of Degeneration (ARMD) 65 and 74 have l Diabetic Retinopathy cataracts, after age l Dry Eye Syndrome 75, about 70 percent do. And glaucoma is most common in people over 60. The elderly population of Pakistan is increasing rapidly. Currently about 12 million people, or 6.6 percent of the total Loss of vision among the elderly population, are over is a major health care problem as the age of 60; about half of the 12 million by 2050, this number is people above the age of 60 in expected to swell to Pakistan are either blind or 14.3 million people, or visually impaired. almost 16 percent of the country’s expected 5population. Case The effects of the breakup of the traditional family structure and support system are heart rending for the elderly in both the urban areas and rural communities of 01Pakistan. Noor Muhammad, a 76 year old farmer from Balochistan, has spent many years “God bless LRBT and living in a mud hut alone. He lost his wife ten years ago and his children had the kind donors who all moved away, contacting him infrequently. have given me the gift of With age Noor’s health had deteriorated and he was dependent on his neighbors and friends for food, sight at a time when company and care. Although he did not enjoy being a burden upon them, his I was surrounded with unfailing optimism, charming demeanor and his age old friendships darkness. They have helped him through his troubles. When Noor’s eyesight began to fail, he was unable to find work. As he had restored my dignity and no income, he went for no medical treatment. Finally he could not see at my faith. I can look after all. Confined to his hut and entirely dependent on his neighbors and friends for even the simplest of tasks, myself now and look Noor sank into a deep depression. The constant darkness he was confined to forward to the future.” made him think of ending his agony by killing himself. Sometime later one of Noor’s daughters came to visit him and was thoroughly shaken by her father’s condition. By chance she had heard of LRBT’s operations and hospital in Quetta and Noor arranged to take him there. At LRBT Noor was diagnosed with cataracts in both his eyes and was Muhammad immediately given a date for his surgery. Following a successful procedure and a very positive post operative examination Noor was thrilled that he was able to see again. With immense gratitude and delight he said “When I lost my sight I was extremely worried. With my wife’s death and my son’s departure I did not know how I would survive or who would continue to take care of me. Case Vision impairment – the dimming of sight then blindness – inevitably leads to unemployment and loss of income. Zohra is a 65 year old widow from 02Karachi. Ostracized by her community and blamed for her husband’s death, she was left alone to take care of her 5 “LRBT has not only given children. She and her children slept on the floor of a single room while she me back my sight but took up tailoring, working day and night to support her children and put them through school. has given me back hope Zohra Bibi had the misfortune of having a sharp object injure her right for the future and has eye. Her drive and determination helped her fight the pain she experienced. But as it became let me once again dream unbearable she visited a local doctor who demanded Rs. 20,000 for the of seeing my children.” required surgery. Distraught by this news and unable to afford the cost of surgery, she continued to work and support her l family. When she could no longer work, her children had to drop out from college. Fortunately, a family friend told Zohra about LRBT’s free eye hospital. Following a successful procedure at LRBT, she could see clearly again. She says: “All my dreams were shattered when my children had to give Zohra up their studies to support us. Now that I have regained my sight, I will go back to stitching so that I can support them Bibi and they can continue with their education. Case Blindness leads not only to social isolation but to loss of daily income and to poverty. Abdul Sattar a 60 year old office helper from Multan was the sole breadwinner for his family of six. Despite earning merely 03Rs. 7,000 a month he lead his life with dignity. “I could never Unfortunately Abdul Sattar’s vision began to fail and knowing that he could not afford the treatment he shied away from imagine that I would seeking help. But soon enough the ailment could no longer be ignored. be able to see again! Worried and distraught he visited the local ophthalmologist who diagnosed cataracts in both his eyes and asked for LRBT has restored my Rs. 30,000 for the procedure. Abdul Sattar found himself faced with a dignity and has saved decision to make. He could either have the surgery and his family would surely me from an old age starve, or he could continue as he had been but was sure he would lose his job and his family would starve in the future. full of darkness.” Either option was terribly bleak. He chose i the latter and soon Abdul Sattar’s vision deteriorated to the point where he could only see shadows of the faces around him and was asked to leave his job. Confined to a corner of his home, he was entirely dependent on his family for help with even the simplest of tasks. Abdul Sattar found himself bumping into things and breaking fragile items, ruining food stuff and generally upsetting the household. His wife, who lovingly cared Abdul for him for many years, began to nag him incessantly; his children soon became Sattar intolerant of him; his brothers, who now had to look after him and his family, taunted him and made sure he felt worthless. A once dignified and proud man was reduced to a pitiable wreck who found himself praying for either a miracle or death. Abdul Sattar fortunately received his miracle. An old colleague came to visit him and was heartbroken to see his state. Having heard about LRBT’s free eye hospital, he took Abdul Sattar there immediately, where he was diagnosed with hyper mature cataracts and underwent two successful procedures. Filled with relief and happiness, he ecstatically proclaimed “It’s like I am dreaming, Case Millions of Pakistanis are currently living with age-related eye diseases. Ameer Jan is a 74 year old resident of Lahore. At a young age she was married to an elderly man who had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. In a 04few short years her husband passed away and she was left homeless. Being “I’ve faced many a widow she was ostracized by her community and had to live with her brother’s family. Dependent on them problems in my life” she for virtually everything and defined as a leech and a liability, Ameer Jan was said, “but losing my soon reduced to merely a house servant. All day she would clean, wash clothes and cook food for the family vision was probably the and no attention was given to her problems or needs.