• Home
• /
• Healthcare

RAK Hospital starts ‘Right to Sight’ drive

The initiative is in line with World Health Organisation’s Global Initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness, “Vision 2020: The Right to Sight”.

Ras Al Khaimah - The “Nazar Ayeni” which means “My Eyesight” in Arabic programme has been launched by the eye care centre of RAK Hospital. Initially, over 1,200 people will be screened and it will then be extended to the entire RAK population. The charity programme focuses on Prevention of Preventable Blindness and Visual Impairment.

The initiative is in line with World Health Organisation’s Global Initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness, “Vision 2020: The Right to Sight”. A specially designed vehicle with equipment for vision screening, computer and Internet connecting the vehicle to RAK Hospital information system is being launched under the programme.

This will be managed by an optometrist and a nurse who will take the Vision Screening Vehicle to all primary health centres, communities, government and private offices, colleges, schools, malls, clubs etc in RAK. This will be a continuous programme till all the residents of the emirate are covered and the objective of the programme is achieved.

The programme aims to establish RAK as the first emirate in the UAE to have an epidemiological screening programme for preventable blindness, said Dr Raza Siddiqui, CEO Arabian Healthcare Group and Executive Director of RAK Hospital.

Our idea is to screen the entire RAK population and identify various causes of visual impairment and blindness which will include vision screening, simple refraction, screening for corneal disorder, colour blindness, cataract, glaucoma, squint plus screening for diabetic retinopathy, age related macular degeneration among others”, said Dr Raza Siddiqui, CEO Arabian Healthcare Group and Executive Director of RAK Hospital. -news@khaleejtimes.com