An Introduction
By Shaukat Ali Jawaid
RAWALPINDI: I had visited Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in late 80s about one and a half years of its formal inauguration. During my recent visit to this institution to participate in a Symposium on Ethical Publications on June 21st, I requested the administration to arrange a tour of this State-of-the-Art tertiary ophthalmic care facility. Prof. Tayyab Afghani and Prof. Ume Sughra were kind enough to take me on a guided tour of different section which was a fascinating experience. It also showed that the vision of just one-man can-do wonders provided it is supplemented with sincerity, honesty of purpose, devotion and dedication. After retirement many people from different walks of life are content with living a retired life, some get busy with different hobbies they like but there is yet another very distinct class who think of doing something good for the community and payback what the country had offered them. Late Lt. Gen. Jehandad Khan was just one of these gentlemen.
A view of Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital at Rawalpindi.
He conceived, built and developed a tertiary ophthalmic care facility and saw its development. Over the years it has emerged as one of the best ophthalmic care facilities in Pakistan which has numerous affiliated tertiary eye care hospitals, different department, has added numerous new services some of which are first of its kind in the country.
Writing in the Annual Report of Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospitals the present President Maj. Gen. Rehmat Khan says that “For the last over thirty three years, Al-Shifa Trust has been playing a vital role in fighting blindness and providing best possible ophthalmic care and has proved to be a beacon of light for millions of people across Pakistan. It has six tertiary care hospitals located at Rawalpindi, Sukkur, Kohat, Muzzafar Abad and Chakwal.
In the field of community ophthalmology Al-Shifa has displayed unwavering resolve in catering the under privileged section of the society. So far, we have organized 1251 free screening and surgical camps all over Pakistan. Last year a team from Al-Shifa hospital even went to Somalia to serve our needy Muslim brothers. New tertiary care eye hospitals are being constructed in Gilgit, Haveli Lakha, Lahore. We also plan to construct a tertiary eye are hospital at Quetta. “
Historical Back ground
Al-Shifa Trust was established in 1985 by late Lt-Gen. Jehandad Khan. It had a humble beginning and developed into a large organization through his personal dedication, devotion and team work. He himself was the major donor who donated all his savings to the Trust. He planned different phases of development and established four state of the art ophthalmic hospitals which are functioning at Rawalpindi, Sukkur, Kohat and Muzaffarabad while the fifth tertiary care hospital started functioning in 2021. He also established Children Eye Hospital, initiated the project of surgical eye camps, construction of Eye Bank and new operation theatre besides enhancing the availability of clinical services. Major Gen. Rehmat Khan the current President of Al-Shifa was elected as President in 2019.
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital at Rawalpindi
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital at Rawalpindi started functioning in 1991. It has thirty consultants in various sub-specialties and daily OPD attendance is between two thousand five hundred to three thousand. The Oncology Ward has chemotherapy facilities. Four to seven patients get chemotherapy daily. The institution is recognized for FCPS in four sub- specialties. Almost 80% of the patients get free or highly subsidized treatment. Screening camps for patients are organized. Facility of surgery at door step is made available through these camps.
Community Out Reach Programme
Community outreach programme was started under Al-Shifa Community Ophthalmology in 1992. The academic wing Pakistan Institute of Ophthalmology was established in 1997 while the tertiary Eye care hospital at Sukkur started functioning in the Year 2000. In 2005 the Tertiary Eye care hospital was established in Kohat. Al-Shifa established the First Low Vision Rehabilitation Centre in 2009. The fourth Tertiary Eye Care hospital became functional at Muzaffarabad Azad Kashmir in 2011. The Alza Pharmaceuticals the pharmaceutical unit as a commercial venture started in 2015. Al-Shifa Eye Bank was established in 2019 and Al-Shifa Research Centre the DRAP licensed clinical Trials Unit at Rawalpindi was established in 2021.
Lt. Gen. Jehan Dad Khan Founder of
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospitals
Prof. Wajid Ali Khan is Chief of Medical Services and Dean, Prof. Tayyab Afghani is Head of Ocular Oncology, Orbit and Oculoplastic. Pediatric Dept. is headed by Prof. Sumaira Altaf, Diagnostics by Dr. Amtul Aziz while Prof. Ume Sughra is Director of Research and also heads the Clinical Trials Unit. Prof. Nadeem Qureshi is heading Retina Department while Glaucoma Dept.is headed by Prof. Farah Akhtar. Brig. Retd. Sabeehuddin is head of General Ophthalmology. The number of patients examined in the Out Patients Departments of various affiliated hospitals of this group and the number of surgical procedures performed are given in the accompanying tables.
Different Departments
Various department functioning at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospitals include Cornea, Retina, Ocular Oncology Orbit and Oculoplastic, Glaucoma, Low Vision and Diagnostics. Al-Shifa has the largest cornea transplant facility in the country where over 50% of all country’s corneal transplants are performed. This department performed 677 corneal transplants and 4,509 corneal surgeries. It also houses the only Children Eye Hospital in Pakistan.
Al-Shifa Trust is also proud of having established the unique and only Low Vision Rehabilitation Centre and during the last year about three thousand nine hundred patients availed this facility.
Pakistan Institute of Ophthalmology
Pakistan Institute of Ophthalmology located at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital till 2024 has trained three hundred specialists who obtained FCPS or DOMS degrees. In addition, it also trained three hundred fifty Optometrists, one hundred nurses and ten thousand voluntary healthcare works and paramedics.
Maj. Gen. Rehmat Khan Current President,
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospitals
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists UK organized its practical examination at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospitals from February 19th to 23rd in 2024 providing opportunity to candidates from all over Pakistan. It has opened potential opportunities for future collaboration with international institutions.
View of the most modern State of the Art Research Centre established as a
part of Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital at Rawalpindi. This also houses.
THe Children Eye Hospital.
The twenty bed Eye Hospital is being constructed at Gilgit which is expected to be functional by the Year 2026. This facility will also have training facility for paramedics and a Walk-in Clinic for patients suffering from mental health disorders.
Al-Shifa Research Centre
It was established in September 2017. Its new building was formally inaugurated by the then President of Pakistan on 6th April 2016. It is planned to become a Centre of Excellence for conducting creative biomedical research. So far it has completed five Trials and forty-six studies have been published in different biomedical journals. One of the unique features of this institution is its emphasis on documentation and whatever is done is documented which is extremely helpful for undertaking and promoting research culture. Al-Shifa Journal of Ophthalmology is being published since 2005 and it practices double blind peer review system. Prof. Ume Sughra is Director of Research while other members of the research team include Dr. Mariam Suleiman and Dr. Asmaa Riaz.
