Cox’s Bazar Baitush Sharaf Hospital (CBBSH), the only specialised eye hospital in Cox’s Bazar district, has opened a new unit for the screening and treatment of diabetic retinopathy, a leading chronic disease affecting vision of people with diabetes.
Orbis International President and CEO Derek Hodkey inaugurated the unit at a ceremony at the hospital on 18 November, said a press release.
Orbis International Country Director for Bangladesh Dr Munir Ahmed and CBBSH General Secretary MM Sirajul Islam were present at the ceremony.
Orbis International has donated the fundus camera, a medical device used to detect and track diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration, to the non-profit hospital for establishing the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening and Treatment Unit.
Speaking at the ceremony, Sirajul Islam said the new unit would facilitate treatment of diabetic retinopathy patients of Cox’s Bazar and neighbouring districts, where there was no such facility before.
Derek said Orbis is proud to have been partnering with CBBSH for the hospital serving people from diversified background with love and dedication.
CBBSH is giving eye health coverage to entire Cox’s Bazar district, which, according to the 2022 census, has a population of around 3 million, including over a million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, who had little access to eye care back in their motherland.
Dr Munir said Orbis look forward to a greater cooperation with CBBSH as the two entities working for eye health can do a lot of things together.
The fundus camera Orbis has donated is a medical device used to take pictures of the back of the eye, also known as the fundus, which includes the retina, optic nerve, macula, and retinal blood vessels, allowing ophthalmologists to diagnose and monitor various diseases like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.
