LAHORE: The Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Timothy Kane, on Tuesday visited the College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences (COAVS), King Edward Medical University/Mayo Hospital Lahore.
The visit was to witness first-hand the impact of Australia’s long-standing support in the field of eye health. The visit highlights the partnership between the Australian government and the Fred Hollow Foundation (FHF) and the College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences, which work with federal and provincial health departments and government hospitals to prevent treatable blindness and strengthen eye care systems across the country.
This partnership, which has been ongoing since 1998, has significantly reduced the blindness rate in Pakistan, from around 1.8pc in the 1990s to 0.5pc today. This means that millions of people have had their sight saved. Australian High Commissioner Timothy Kane said Australia is proud to partner with Pakistan to reduce preventable blindness and improve access to quality care.
Professor Dr Muhammad Moin, Principal COAVS and Chairman, Eye Department, KEMU, said Australian support is key in providing state-of-the-art medical facilities and a trained workforce at the College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences’.
