Daily Times

LAHORE: Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Margaret Adamson and Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Najam Ahmed Shah inaugurated a new hostel at the King Edward Medical University’s College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences (COAVS), Mayo Hospital on Friday.

The hostel would house 250 ophthalmic students, mostly girls from remote areas of Pakistan. Launching of school screening project at Hafizabad district was also held on the same occasion.

Margaret Adamson, Najum Ahmed Shah, King Edward Medical University Principal Prof Dr Asad Aslam Khan and Mayo Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Amjad Shahzad were present on the occasion.

Dr Asad Aslam Khan informed that the hostel was a long desire of the students as, 66 percent of the students were female. Secondly, he added, many of the female students belong to remote areas of Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and few African countries.

“Students had to travel on public and private transport to reach the college resulting in late arrival and insecurity. The proposal of Rs 75 million for construction of the hostel was prepared and generously accepted by Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) Australia. The project was managed to be completed in six months,” the principal informed.

Dr Asad Aslam Khan also appreciated the role of the Australian government and people for all the collaborative efforts in comprehensive eye care services. During the ceremony, a project “Screening of School Children for the refractive errors in district Hafizabad” with the support of FHF was also launched. This screening project would establish self-sustained model of school healthcare based on refractive error for school going children aged between 5 and 15 in district Hafizabad and would ultimately improve the quality of life and education capabilities by eliminating blindness and visual disability particularly due to uncorrected refractive errors in school children.

He also appreciated the efforts of the Punjab government for patronising the prevention of blindness activities of the college, which is quite evident from the creation of posts of Allied Vision Sciences personnel at all levels of healthcare.

Specialized Health Care and Medical Education Secretary Najum Ahmed Shah on the occasion shared his experience of the visit to College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences, its classes, the newly inaugurated hostel and clinical departments and appreciated the standard delivery of eye care services. He also appreciated the long journey and dedication of two decades to bring about that marvelous revolution to the eye sector. He praised the efforts of Australian government in collaborative eye care services and emphasised the replication of such examples as role models in all parts of Pakistan.

Australian High Commissioner for Pakistan Margaret Adamson expressed that the Australian government’s continued support to the work of the FHF in Pakistan reflects our strong belief that providing quality care for those affected by various forms of blindness is key to improving their economic and social opportunities. She expressed pleasure to be on the occasion and presented tributes to Prof Asad for its services.

She expressed her feeling that the partnership has really made a difference and was Australian government is pleased to support Pakistan as partner and wished a wonderful future to the country.

FHF Pakistan Country Manager Farooq Awan also expressed his views on the occasion and showed a video in which students residing in hostel expressed their views to reflect the need of hostel accommodation. Mayo Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Amjad Shahzad presented vote of thanks to the honorable guests.