Govt to expand modern eye care services in rural areas: Dr Muhit

SIRAJGANJ, July 26: Health and Family Welfare State Minister Prof Dr MA Muhit on Saturday said the government aims to expand modern eye care services to rural Bangladesh.

He made the remarks while inaugurating the Jamirta Vision Centre in Shahzadpur Upazila of Sirajganj.

"With the use of technology, people in remote villages of Shahzadpur will now be able to receive telemedicine consultations and eye care services from specialist doctors based in cities such as Dhaka and even New York," he said.

He added that the Jamirta Vision Centre marks another milestone in the government's efforts to bring quality eye care to the grassroots.

The state minister also called for an end to the social stigma surrounding the use of eyeglasses by children, saying timely vision correction protects eyesight and improves academic performance.

"Our society still holds misconceptions about children wearing glasses at an early age. These misconceptions must be removed," he said.

He urged students to identify people with vision problems, particularly elderly residents, in their communities and encourage them to seek treatment at vision centres.

Muhit said a total of 25 environmentally friendly, women-led Green Vision Centres are being established across the country. The centres will run on solar power and create employment opportunities for women at the grassroots level.

The facilities will provide real-time consultations through Orbis's Cybersight platform, using artificial intelligence (AI) to support vision testing, prescription glasses, glaucoma screening and diabetic retinopathy screening, he added.

Shahzadpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sabrina Sharmin, Orbis International Bangladesh Country Director Dr Munir Ahmed, local residents, and students from educational institutions attended the inaugural ceremony.
According to the organisers, the Jamirta Vision Centre has been established under the Future Vision Centre project with support from Orbis International and funding from the Amud Foundation. It will be operated by Professor MA Motin BNSB Base Eye Hospital in Sirajganj.