Daily Times

The prevalence of Glaucoma in children is increasing rapidly in Pakistan, which requires proper intervention.

Prof. Dr Sumaira Altaf, Head of the Paediatric department at Al-Shifa Trust, said here on Friday.

She said that Glaucoma in children was a vision-threatening condition and was highly prevalent in our population, likely due to the high incidence of consanguinity or family marriages in Pakistan.

“Timely medication and surgical treatment can help control this disease with a good visual outcome and save many children from lifelong visual disability or blindness,” she added.

She said that Glaucoma in children had become a growing cause of concern worldwide, and millions were suffering from it in Pakistan.

Dr Sumaira Altaf said that Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital provided free of cost medical and surgical treatment to 80 per cent of patients who experienced and skilled Pediatric Ophthalmologists treat.

Around 22 to 25 pediatric eye surgeries were performed daily, including various types of surgeries for Glaucoma, she informed.

The successful treatment of these patients has resulted in many referrals to the trust’s hospital nationwide.

She added that many paediatric glaucoma cases had secondary causes either due to trauma, previous eye surgery, associated eye anomalies or injudicious use of steroids.

Dr Sumaira highlighted that the vision of many unfortunate children had been compromised because of the careless use of over-the-counter steroid eye drops.

Moreover, salesmen frequently prescribed harmful medicines at pharmacies relatives, quacks, and sometimes by general practitioners, who were ignorant that these medicines lead to complications and irreversible blindness.

“Pharmaceutical companies should also mention the side effects of these medicines on their packaging as knowledge regarding paediatric Glaucoma is scarce, she said, adding that examination at birth by an ophthalmologist was recommended for every child to rule out any eye abnormalities.

Dr Sumeria advised that an annual eye examination by an ophthalmologist was recommended to detect early signs of Glaucoma or other ocular problems and intervene before it was too late.

The Al-Shifa Department of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Rawalpindi had fully equipped OPD clinics, paediatric vision and refraction clinics, and all the diagnostic tests required for children.

The competent team of Ophthalmologists caters to an OPD of 250 to 300 children daily, while 22 to 25 paediatric eye surgeries were performed daily under general anaesthesia.