Sohel Mahmud, Chattogram: Orbis UK Trustee Dr. Robert Walters said, ‘Orbis’s eye care service to forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (FDMN) and host community in Cox’s Bazar funded by Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) is restoring vision of both adult and children, which is an impressive and significant example of humanitarian response activities’. He said this while observing the eye screening services at Balukhali camp 11, Ukhia, Coxs’ Bazar.

Dr. Robert Walters visited Cox’s Bazar on October 13 – 15, 2019, while in an official visit to Bangladesh along with his colleagues Rebecca Cronin, CEO and Natsha Lee, Communications Manager from Orbis UK accompanied by Jane Walters, UK, Dr. Munir Ahmed, Country Director, Mohammed Alauddin, Director of Programs and Md. Iqbal Hossain, Senior Program Manager, Orbis International Bangladesh and SM Kamal Uddin, Joint Secretary of Cox’s Bazar Baitush Sharaf Hospital (CBBSH). In his tour to Cox’s Bazar, he visited Cox’s Bazar Baitush Sharaf Hospital as well as Child Friendly Spaces (CFS), outreach camp and met with FDMN beneficiaries at Balukhali Camp 11, Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar.

During the visit, Dr Walters attended at an official meeting with Md Mahbub Alam Talukdar, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) from Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief of Bangladesh government. He discussed about eye health situation of FDMNs and host community of Cox’s Bazar and activities of Orbis in restoring vision as well as strengthening the ongoing collaboration with government and other organizations working for FDMNs and host community.

While observing eye screening camp, Dr. Robert talked to the patients to know about their problem and feelings after getting eye care service. ‘Orbis’s eye screening camp has created access to eye health care service as well as opportunity to receive quality treatment for FDMNs. Our local partner hospital Cox’s Bazar Baitush Sharaf Hospital examines FDMNs and host communities’ eyes and takes necessary measures for further treatment that includes, distributing medicine, spectacles and performing surgery at free of cost’, said Dr. Robert Walters.

Regardless of eye care service to FDMNs, he added, QCV (Qatar Creating Vision) Expanding Eye Care in south east Bangladesh is also providing eye care service to host community in Cox’s Bazar.

The QCV Expanding Eye Care Project in South East Bangladesh funded by Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) began in 2018 and till today has screened around 1,10,696 children and adult, performed around 1,700 surgeries, while about 15,000 patients received medicine and almost 8,000 spectacles provided to both FDMNs and host community. In addition, a primary eye care center is established at Ukhia Upazila Health Complex and orientation to local frontline health workers on primary eye care is going on.