PSO joins hand with LRBT to fight blindness in Pakistan

F.P. Report

KARACHI: Pakistan State Oil (PSX: PSO), the largest oil marketing company of the country, has donated Rs. 24.6 million to the LRBT for specialized state of the art ophthalmic equipment to be used as a diagnostic tool for Diabetic Retinopathy/Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD)/Congenital Retinal diseases/Glaucoma as well as managing its treatment.

The announcement came from an official ceremony between PSO and LRBT held at the Korangi Hospital in Karachi. Sheikh Imranul Haque, MD and CEO PSO, presented the cheque of support on behalf of the PSO CSR Trust to Mr Umar Ghafoor CEO, LRBT. Babar Chaudhry from the PSO CSR Trust signed and exchanged the memorandum of understanding with Mr. Najmus Saquib Hameed, Chairman, and LRBT. Senior officials from both sides were present to witness the ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sheikh Imranul Haque, MD & CEO, PSO said PSO, as responsible corporate citizen, has been very actively and generously supporting sustainable social and economic development through its extensive philanthropic investment in education, healthcare, community development, environment conservation and disaster relief areas.

He said we are pleased today to join hands with the LRBT in their mission, ‘No man, woman or child should go blind just because they cannot access or afford the treatment’. Our funds to LRBT will be used for a state of the art medical equipment, the Fundas Camera.

There are only seven similar apparatus available in Pakistan; out of that only three are in Karachi.

He said our support will benefit deserving patients from underprivileged background at LRBT’s Korangi Hospital which is the largest in the entire network of the LRBT’s 75 facilities across Pakistan.

Chairman, LRBT Najmus Saquib Hameed said we are extremely grateful to PSO for this generous support as this will be benefiting thousands of poor eye patients in the country.

It is commendable how PSO has come forward and helped us by providing funds for the Fundus Camera as this is critical for monitoring the progression of certain eye condition/diseases.

9 % percent of our population suffers from diabetes mellitus. 30 % of diabetics develop diabetic retinopathy an irreversible blinding disease if not treated in time. Regular fundus screening examinations of diabetics is therefore imperative so that treatment with anti VEGF injections and/or retinal laser procedures can be started as soon as needed which will arrest the progression of the disease.

This equipment is extremely necessary at LRBT Korangi as being the largest eye hospital in the country it caters to residents not only Karachi, but of the entire Sindh and Baluchistan province. In fact many there are patients who come from other parts of the country as well.

 

He said we urge other large corporations to come forward and play their part in reduction of curable blindness as a sight loss is a life loss.