Bangladesh’s first international-standard specialised paediatric eye operation theatre (OT) at the national level has been launched at the National Institute of Ophthalmology & Hospital (NIO&H) at Agargaon in Dhaka.
Director of NIO&H and Line Director of National Eye Care Prof Jalal Ahmed inaugurated the OT on Wednesday morning. Country Director of Orbis International Dr Munir Ahmed and Head of the Paediatric Ophthalmology Department at NIO&H Prof Md Forhad Hossain were present as the special guests.
Physicians, officials, teachers and students of NIO&H were also present.
Orbis has sponsored the OT unit, which has been a milestone in paediatric eye care in Bangladesh, under the National Childhood Blindness Reduction Programme.
NIO&H and Orbis, which gives special emphasis on reduction of childhood blindness, say children will be given world-class services at the OT unit, which qualifies the standard of International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), at almost free of cost.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Jalal Ahmed and Dr Munir Ahmed urged all concerned to work sincerely for ensuring the best utilisation of the operation unit.
Stressing the need for maintaining high quality in services, Prof Jalal said: “Installation of this highly expensive operation unit will be useless unless we can ensure the best services. We can advance only by offering the best services.”
Dr Munir said equipments and services at NIO&H have improved a lot and expressed his hope that they would improve further in the days to come.
Highlighting the services that Orbis offers, he said the international NGO not only provides equipments, it also shows how high quality services can be ensured.
He also hoped NIO&H would be strengthened further as the apex institution in eye care.