KTH conducts free corneal transplant surgeries

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) conducted free corneal transplant surgeries of 95 patients in its Ophthalmology Department.

In a statement, the hospital administration said that Dr Zaman Shah and his team performed the surgeries.

In the corneal transplant or keratoplasty procedure, the damaged cornea of the eye is replaced with a healthy donor graft. The statement said that the Ophthalmology Department of KTH was treating the corneal transplant patients in accordance with the new standard guidelines.

The objective of corneal transplant is to give new vision to be the patients, according to the hospital administration.

The department is conducting corneal transplant on routine basis since May 2017.

The cornea is received from APPNA organization from USA and Sri Lanka Pakistan Friendship Association president Iftikhar Aziz.

According to the consultant Dr Zaman Shah, these patients presented to OPD having no vision in their eyes but after surgery they were able see the world.

The cost of a single corneal graft is Rs120,000 but the donor grafts and treatment is free of cost for the poor patients.

Among the 95 patients, 60 per cent were women and 40 men belonging to Afghanistan, Swat, Bajaur, Dir, Waziristan, Swabi and Lahore.

Most of the patients were from Afghanistan and Swat.The corneal transplantation was carried out free of charge.