Govt to invest $130m to improve eye care over 5 years: State minister

The government will invest $130 million over the next five years to improve eye health services and expand access to eye care across Bangladesh, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit said today (8 October).

He made the announcement at a World Sight Day event jointly organised by the INGO Forum and the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIOH) at the CIRDAP conference room.

In his speech, Muhit said the investment would help ensure access to eye care in every district and remote area of the country.

“The funds will be used to train eye-care professionals, expand eye-health infrastructure and facilities, and ensure the necessary treatment services,” he said.

He said the government would also launch a nationwide initiative to provide 10 lakh free cataract surgeries and 1 crore spectacles, while bringing around 2 crore people under primary eye-care services.

Schoolchildren will also be included in the initiative, he added.

“Providing quality and affordable eye-care services at people’s doorstep is one of the government’s key priorities,” Muhit said, adding that the coverage of eye-health services would be expanded further to achieve the goal.

Dr Munir Ahmed, country director of Orbis International; Prof Jinnu Rain (Newton), secretary-general of the Ophthalmological Society of Bangladesh (OSB); and Dr Touhidur Rahman, president of OSB, attended the event.

Dr Afsana Habib Shiuly, programme head at Helen Keller International, moderated the discussion, while Dr Syed Mehbub Ul Qadir, director of NIOH, chaired the event.