Business Recorder
RAWALPINDI: Uzbekistan’s Ambassador Alisher Tukhtaev on Thursday visited Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital and held discussions on expanding bilateral cooperation in the fields of ophthalmology, telemedicine, medical training, and patient referrals. During the visit, the ambassador accompanied by Second Secretary Ravshan Jumanov called on Al-Shifa Trust President Rehmat Khan and Administrator Khalid Yazdani Shah. He was briefed on the hospital’s nationwide network and specialised eye care services, including advanced corneal treatment facilities under the supervision of Professor Dr Wajid Ali Khan, Chief Medical Services. The two sides discussed multiple avenues of collaboration, including telemedicine connectivity, exchange programmes for Uzbek medical professionals, internships, transfer of medical technologies, hospital management systems, vocational training, and joint workshops and specialised courses. They also exchanged views on joint outreach initiatives for underserved communities, and the possibility of arranging a future high-level presidential engagement to formalise healthcare cooperation between Pakistan and Uzbekistan. The talks come as Al-Shifa Trust expands its international outreach beyond Pakistan. In 2025 it treated 5,632 patients and conducted more than 400 cataract surgeries in Somalia, part of a broader expansion targeting underserved regions including Afghanistan and East Africa. The Uzbekistan engagement marks Al-Shifa’s first structured healthcare outreach into Central Asia, where specialised ophthalmology services remain limited outside major urban centres, particularly in corneal treatment, diabetic retinopathy screening, and paediatric eye care. Globally, cataract, refractive error, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration remain among the leading causes of preventable blindness, with lower-income countries facing the largest treatment gaps. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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