Gilgit (Kashmir English): The Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Gilgit has emerged as a beacon of hope for hundreds of poor people suffering from vision-related ailments even before its completion.
Construction of the hospital with an estimated cost of Rs335 million started in July 2024 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.
Still, the exceptionally high demand for quality eye care prompted the Trust’s high-ups to initiate operations in the incomplete facility, according to Brig. (retd) Arshad Mehmood, the Project Director.
Talking to the media, the Project Director said that as soon as the hospital started offering services, it was flooded with poor patients lacking finances to afford treatment in the country’s urban centres.
He said the trust is bringing hope to isolated corners of the country through a dedicated team, visionary leadership, community support, generous donors, and state-of-the-art eye-care solutions.
He said that the locals, who long suffered from lack of specialized care, have better options than home remedies, which are making a difference in their lives. Poverty and harsh environmental conditions have made life of these people difficult.
Brig. (retd) Arshad Mehmood said that the Trust had to overcome challenges, including lack of skilled workforce, financial constraints, geographical isolation, etc. to start the project.
Being a trusted name, the AST has started attracting patients across the region.
Of the people living in 14 districts, 10 to 15 percent have eye-related issues mainly due to extreme weather, improper living conditions, and last but not the least poverty.
Since December 17, a Prof. Dr. Qaim Ali Khan-led team of doctors has conducted an impressive total of 3,268 OPDs, providing crucial medical care to patients.
Among these, 1,373 were male, 1,338 females, and 557 were children. In addition to consultations, they have successfully performed 166 surgeries.
AST hospitals
It is note-worthy that nearly 80 percent of the patients receive free treatment in all trust-run hospitals in, Muzaffarabad, Rawalpindi, Kohat, Chakwal, Sukkur and Gilgit.
