ISLAMABAD, Feb 29 (APP) – An eight-member medical team comprising representatives from COMSTECH (OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation) and Al-Shifa Trust has set off for Mogadishu, Somalia, to conduct a series of free cataract eye surgeries. This initiative is a collaborative effort between COMSTECH and Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, driven by the guidance of Coordinator General COMSTECH, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary.
The ten-day-long camp, scheduled from March 01-10, aims to perform over 400 cataract surgeries, offering renewed vision and enhancing the lives of numerous individuals in Somalia. Al-NUR Foundation and Benadir University, Mogadishu, have generously provided hospital facilities for the camp.
The Pakistani medical team comprises eight members, including four ophthalmologists and two OT technicians from Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, along with a PhD Pharmacist and a coordinator from COMSTECH. Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary expressed profound gratitude to Major General (Retd.) Rehmat Khan, the Chairman of Al-Shifa Trust, for his exceptional leadership and initiative in organizing this altruistic surgical camp.
The financial and technical contributions from Al-Shifa Trust have been instrumental in enabling COMSTECH to extend vital eye care services to the people of Mogadishu. This collaboration is anticipated to have a substantial positive impact on the lives of the Somali population.
In addition to restoring vision, the joint efforts of COMSTECH and Al-Shifa Trust aim to revive hope and dignity among those in need. The medical team has ensured all necessary medicines, intraocular lenses, and surgical consumables are prepared for the mission. A No Objection Certificate (NoC) has been obtained from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) for the export of these items as donations to Somalia. The Embassy of Somalia in Pakistan has also played a crucial role in expediting the visa process for the medical team, demonstrating a united commitment to this humanitarian cause.
