Moulvibazar:Standard Chartered Bangladesh has introduced an eye-care initiative named 'Gift of Sight' to offer screening and treatment services to over 7,000 tea garden workers in the Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar district.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the initiative is a collaboration with Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital (IIEI and H) and aims to improve access to essential eye-care services for underserved tea-growing communities. The program promises free cataract surgeries for around 1,500 patients, along with tear-duct surgeries, including DCR and DCT.
The focus of the initiative will be on screening and treating conditions such as cataracts, tear-duct conditions, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. The tea garden workers often experience generational poverty and economic hardship, which limits their access to specialized healthcare services, leaving many eye-related conditions untreated.
Several cataract surgery camps will be organized to bring eye-care services closer to the beneficiaries. The initiative will provide medicines and other necessary support while enhancing local capacity for eye screening and referral services. Patients diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma will be referred to Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital in Dhaka for specialized treatment and follow-up care.
Standard Chartered Bangladesh Chief Executive Officer Enamul Huque emphasized that untreated eye problems could affect people's ability to work, support their families, and live independently. Through 'Gift of Sight,' the bank aims to ensure timely and quality eye care for tea-growing communities, ultimately improving their quality of life. Brigadier General AKM Akhtaruzzaman (Retd), CEO of Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital, noted that the initiative would significantly improve access to essential eye-care services, restore vision, and promote healthier, more inclusive livelihoods for disadvantaged individuals.