Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital has started the construction of South Asia’s largest and most modern eye hospital in Lahore.
Major General (R) Rahmat Khan, President of Al-Shifa Trust, termed the construction of this modern medical center as a significant advancement in the organization’s ongoing efforts to increase access to high-quality eye services across Pakistan. This initiative holds particular importance in addressing the issue of high rates of treatable blindness in the country.
The construction contract has been awarded to a local Lahore company, with a strict timeline of 13 months set for the completion of the initial structure. Special clauses have been included in the contract to prevent any construction delays, ensuring the project’s timely completion.
A formal ceremony, attended by Al-Shifa Trust officials, engineers, and construction staff along with various partners, was held as a commemoration of the project’s launch. Participants expressed their hopes and prayers for the success of the upcoming medical center.
The new hospital, provided 70 kanals of land by the Punjab government along the Ring Road in Raiwind, will feature 20 modern operating theaters and offer state-of-the-art treatment facilities for various eye diseases. This center will serve approximately 20 million residents and provide treatment to over 600,000 patients annually, including free treatment options for those in need, in line with the trust’s inclusive healthcare policies.
The establishment of this hospital is timely, as Pakistan ranks sixth in the world in terms of blindness rates, with over 26 million people facing varying degrees of visual impairment. More than half of these cases are caused by cataracts, providing a significant opportunity for intervention through treatable medical care. Central Punjab, in particular, has the highest rates of blindness.
In its 35-year history, Al-Shifa Trust has expanded its reach from serving 25 patients daily to over 5,000. The trust operates seven eye hospitals across different regions of Pakistan and has conducted over 15,000 free screening and surgical camps, providing free treatment to the majority of patients.
To further support this initiative, a fundraising event was held featuring performances by renowned artists Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Noor Bakhsh, raising 100 million rupees from generous patrons for the project. This new center in Lahore will significantly reduce treatable blindness and enhance the provision of modern eye care services.