Pakistan Requires Sizeable Increase In The Number Of Qualified Ophthalmologists: CPSP Official

Director General, College of Physicians and Surgeons -Pakistan (CPSP) Khalid Masood Gondal Tuesday said, country with a registered number of 30,000 eye specialists is in dire need of no less than 100,000 trained and qualified ophthalmologists to meet steady surge in eye related complications, including blindness

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 06th Feb, 2018 ) :Director General, College of Physicians and Surgeons -Pakistan (CPSP) Khalid Masood Gondal Tuesday said, country with a registered number of 30,000 eye specialists is in dire need of no less than 100,000 trained and qualified ophthalmologists to meet steady surge in eye related complications, including blindness.

This he said while addressing the annual conference of Ophthalmic Society of Pakistan (OSP). The moot with the theme "Pioneering Innovations in Ophthalmology" was also addressed by Prof. Dr. Sharif Hashmani, Dr.Misbah ul Aziz, Prof.

Maj. General (retd) Mazhar Ishaq, Prof. Shoaib Shafi, Prof. Fawad Rizvi from LRBT, Dr. Sami Memon, Dr. Rehan Siddiqui and Dr. Amer Awan. Prof. Gondal the chief guest on the occasion said that as per World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation Pakistan needed atleast 100,000 trained and qualified ophthalmologists against existent availability of 30,000 qualified professionals.

"There are only a few hundred specialists in the emerging field of pediatric ophthalmology," he said mentioning that CPSP was trying its level best to overcome the shortage of eye specialists by motivating young doctors in the field of ophthalmology.

CPSP's Director General appreciated that women doctors were enthusiastically joining the field of ophthalmology and urged the young doctors to also focus on specializing in the emerging field of pediatric ophthalmology so as to prevent blindness among children.

Prof. Sharif Hashmani in his elaborate presentation said Diabetes was emerging as major cause of blindness in the country. "Blindness is on the rise in Pakistan with thousands of people facing loss of vision annually due to cataract, glaucoma, diabetes and some other health related conditions," he said.

As many as 25 percent diabetics in the country were said to lose their vision annually in Pakistan while equal percentage of population is feared to suffer from blindness due to cataract and glaucoma.

"Fortunately, majority of these conditions can be prevented or treated if people see trained and qualified eye specialists without any unnecessary delay," said Dr. Sharif Hashmani. The senior professional highlighting importance of prevention and health education said eye related complications can be prevented by avoiding and controlling diabetes as well as hypertension.

"People at every level must be encouraged to quit smoking and also ensure regular eye examination so as to help timely treatment with optimum chances of recovery," he said. Excessive use of 4th generation antibiotics was cited to be a major problem causing drug resistant eye diseases in Pakistan where drugs were not responding to bacterial eye infections.

Dr. Hashmani urged doctors not to prescribe 4th generation antibiotics to their patients emphasizing that people themselves need to avoid self-medication. Another leading ophthalmologist and former President of Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) Dr.

Misbahul Aziz said discussed cataract as another common cause of blindness in Pakistan. Cataract, he said was not only consequent to aging but is also aggravated due to diabetes, hypertension and smoking.

Other prominent eye specialists, from different parts of the country discussed varied aspects of innovations in the treatment of eye related ailments. Dr. Fawad Rizvi referring to use of modern techniques including Optical Coherence Tomography said latest imaging techniques and machine-assisted technology are registered to facilitate complicated surgeries and save vision of people at high risk.

On the occasion, gold medal was awarded to eminent ophthalmologist and eye specialist, Dr. Niaz Ahmed Brohi for his services in the field of ophthalmology, especially for performing over 9500 corneal transplants. Dr. Sidra Zafar, a young doctor from the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) was given cash prize of Rs. 50,000 for presenting the best paper at the conference.