Daily Times

The head of the ophthalmology department at Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) Abbottabad, collaborated with American doctors to successfully perform corneal transplants for four patients. The ophthalmology department carried out successful corneal transplants for various patients in Hazara. Among the beneficiaries were Parveen Bibi (55 years old), Muhammad Zubair (8 years old), Bilal (24 years old), and Fatima (19 years old), whose lives were positively impacted by the procedure.

According to the information, the procedure of corneal transplant of the first four patients was started after the approval of the Peshawar Transplant Authority and registration, making this service available to over 40,000 patients in the Hazara region. The notable team of medical professionals, including Chairperson Dr. Danish Zafar, Professor Dr. Sajid Kazmi, Professor Dr. Zulfiqar Ahmed, and OT Incharge Yaser Arafat, conducted the free surgeries at Abbottabad Teaching Hospital. This marks a historic milestone as it was the first time that such a service has been provided free of cost to patients in Hazara. While talking to the journalists, Dr. Danish Zafar, Professor Dr. Sajid Kazmi, and Dr. Zulfiqar expressed their gratitude for the successful completion of the corneal transplants for the four patients.

These procedures were made possible through the cooperation of the American Association of Pakistani Physicians North America (APPNA), which generously provided the corneas for the transplants. They stressed the need to raise awareness about this vital procedure in Pakistan. Muhammad Bilal, Chairman of the Rights to Live (RTL) Organization, who is also a member of the Transplant Committee and a strong advocate for the rights of visually impaired individuals, applauded the availability of corneal transplant services at Ayub Medical Complex. Previously, such treatment incurred expenses ranging from five to six lakh rupees in Lahore. Now, patients from Hazara, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir can receive the necessary treatment free of charge. Dr. Danish Zafar, Professor Dr. Sajid Kazmi, and Dr. Zulfiqar extended their appreciation to the administration of Ayub Medical Complex, the ophthalmology department’s doctors, and their organization for their dedicated efforts in providing this free service to the people of Hazara.