LRBT for schools-based eye care services

Layton Rehmatullah Benevolent Trust’s (LRBT’s) has invited administrators of government owned and private sectors hospitals to get registered for its school-based eye care services.

Dr Mahwash A Khan, Head of Community Services, LRBT Eye Hospital said components of this programme are health education, screening of all students, on the spot treatment if possible and referral of those with advance eye care needs.

Referred students if present at our KorangiHospital are entertained on priority basis, she said. The programme itself was said to have gone a long way to contribute to a better eye health of school children and prevention of possible eye health problems in student population.

Operational for past 15 years it has till date screened around 0.30 million school children for eye diseases and according to the updated data around 15 percent of these students was identified to have significant eye problems and was referred to our hospital.

A large number of these referred students reported to LRBT eye hospital and were either treated or operated for advance eye problems.

Dr Khan said schools willing to participate in this programme in advance need to register themselves with LRBT as this would help to schedule the activities effectively.

Administration of the schools willing to be part of the exercise were also advised arrange about an hour’s session of the willing teaching staff to be addressed by the community eye care staff, that would be followed training of minimum two teachers and maximum four teachers in vision screening.

“Trained teachers will them screen all the students in school and report to LBRT team about those who need to be examined by our optometrist,” said Dr Khan.

She said on an average LBRT staff can manage to screen and educate about 100 to 150 students on each visit, however, the task is greatly facilitated if the school concerned manages to attach one or two volunteer and motivated staff to help the team.