RAWALPINDI: Al-Shifa Eye Trust hospital documented 1,600 incidences of paediatric eye cancer in a single year, and the experts said that childhood eye cancer is frighteningly rising in the country and children’s vision must be preserved.

Every stage, from evaluation to chemotherapy, is carried out under one roof at the Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital Rawalpindi. This facility is exclusiveto it, said Dr. Tanzeela Farah, a paediatric oncologist. She informed a media team that the eye cancer centre has 1,600 youngsters registered and that as more people become aware of the significance of the issue, the number of patients is rising.

She said that Pakistan is seeing an alarming rise in paediatric eye cancer cases when compared to other nations in the area.

She said that the occurrence of eye cancer needs early detection, diagnosis, and proper treatment, and added that almost 30 percent of eye cancer patients are children, which is a big challenge for them.

Dr Tanzeela Farah said timely detection could save a child’s sight.

However, in the event of failure to consult an expert, most eye cancer patients may suffer vision loss or loss of an eye, or it may prove fatal in some cases.

She added that the treatment of eye cancer is a lengthy and very costly process.

Still, Al-Shifa is determined to treating poor patients free of charge with the help of experts and the latest apparatus.

After chemotherapy, follow-up sessions continue every six months; the patients are observed for 5 to 7 years, she said, adding that eye cancer is sometimes diagnosed at birth and that they are fully equipped to treat children from zero to 15 years old.

Dr Tanzeela Farah said that most of the children who have eye cancer belong to low-income families living in remote areas, and their parents are unaware of the specialised facilities needed to provide proper treatment.

The eye cancer needs more time and effort to be treated, she said.

Al-Shifa Trust has set up a chain of five eye hospitals of international standard in the last three decades, including those in Rawalpindi, Kohat, Sukkur, Muzaffarabad, and Chakwal. Al-Shifa Rawalpindi is Asia’s biggest children’s eye hospital.At its Rawalpindi location, Al-Shifa Trust also manages the largest children’s eye facility in Asia.

Moreover,400 children with eye cancer have been successfully treated at the Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in one year.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2023