 One of the main causes of Blindness is Cataract and this is a major area which needs to be focused and addressed on priority basis. Cataracts are easily removed by a single procedure and an artificial (IOL) Intra Ocular Lens is implanted and eye sight is restored.
This project will provide 600 IOL surgeries to be performed at Mian Fazal Rehman Hospital, established in 1985. The Department of Ophthalmology at Mian Fazal Rehman Hospital has been fully functional since 2002. It has a dedicated Eye Operation Theatre with most modern operating microscopes & Pheco emulsification Unit to provide state of the art surgical facility to the 1.8 million people of the city, Multan and adjacent villages. Mian Fazal Rehman Hospital is being run by Fazal Rehman Foundation and has already successfully completed more than 9,000 Cataract surgeries since 2002.
Majority of the patients visiting Mian Fazal Rehman Hospital are poor and this hospital is the only hospital of its kind catering for the needs of the less fortunate in area of eye problems. On average more than 40,000 patients visit the OPD annually and are screened for different diseases with the help of modern equipment for nominal fee of Rs.40 (US$ 0.47). Mian Fazal Rehman Hospital has the capacity to perform more than 3,000 cataract surgeries in a course of one year. At present the hospital is performing 1,700 to 1,900 cataract surgeries on a basis of two operating lists per week because of budget constraints.
With the help of this Matching Grant for 600 IOL surgeries, a substantial boost will be given towards the essential cause of Blindness Prevention. After this grant, the Hospital will continue providing the IOL surgeries through other donations and contributions from the board of trustees of Fazal Rehman Foundation. | 
