Restore eyesight to 1500 poor women in Pakistan

Getting ready for her brother’s wedding was Mehwish’s most anticipated part of the festivities. The 30-year-old had spent most of the day getting her children ready for the evening, after which she finally had some time to herself. At the salon she was encouraged to try something different, so she opted for colored contact lenses for the first time. During the wedding Mehwish’s eye began to feel increasingly uncomfortable, and deciding it was too much to bear, she removed the lenses. Her eye, however, would not stop watering, leaving her to panic throughout the rest of the ceremony. The next day, Mehwish experienced a complete loss of vision.

Her mother took her to the nearest clinic to have the eye checked, where she was told she would need to undergo surgery in order to restore her vision as her cornea had been severely damaged. A panicked Mehwish felt all hope was lost, and regretted her decision to wear the lenses in the first place. With another child on the way, her overall health needed to be managed and the stress of her sudden vision loss was shared by the entire family. Her young children, unable to comprehend what had happened to their mother, and were scared she would never be her joyful self again.

Mehwish's mother-in-law was able to convince her to visit LRBT as she had undergone cataract surgery there herself and guaranteed she would receive exceptional care. At the LRBT hospital, Mehwish was nervous; her mind ran through the worst possible outcomes for her and her family. The kind demeanor of the doctors calmed her down and she quickly felt comfortable about the decision to be treated there. Once she was thoroughly examined doctors advised she undergo a cornea replacement surgery to restore her vision. As Mehwish gathered all the relevant documents she remained hopeful of a match so she could have her surgery before giving birth. Soon enough, she received the call that would change her life – a matching cornea was available.

“The entire process was completed within a month,” she says, “I was sure all hope was lost before visiting LRBT. Cornea replacements are extremely expensive and my first thought was that we wouldn’t have been able to feed our children. I am immensely thankful to LRBT for providing myself and many others who cannot afford such care with excellent facilities.”

LRBT advocates "eye care for all". LRBT is committed to ensuring gender equality in the free eye care services it provides, since it is crucial for the overall well-being and empowerment of communities. It's heartening to see that LRBT is actively working towards its core value of non-discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, religion, or disability.

The fact that 51% of all patients treated at LRBT are women, and over 1.5 million women were among the 3 million patients treated in 2022, reflects the organization's commitment to reaching diverse segments of the population. Providing proper eye care not only contributes to the health and quality of life of these women but also has broader societal implications.

The emphasis on enabling women to be active members of society is particularly noteworthy. By addressing their healthcare needs, LRBT is contributing to the broader goal of promoting economic stability and independence for women. It is well-established that when women are healthy and empowered, they are better positioned to contribute to their families and communities.