RAWALPINDI, June 17 (ABC):Al-Shifa Trust has begun construction of a major eye care facility in Lahore that is expected to become one of South Asia’s largest specialized eye hospitals. The project is part of the Trust’s broader effort to expand access to ophthalmology services and address preventable blindness in Pakistan, where millions of people live with vision impairment.
The new hospital is being built on land provided by the Punjab government along Lahore’s Ring Road in Raiwind. According to Al-Shifa Trust officials, the facility will include advanced medical infrastructure and expanded treatment capacity for patients across Central Punjab and other parts of the country.
What is the new Lahore eye hospital project?
The project involves the construction of a specialized eye hospital on 70 kanals of land in Lahore. Al-Shifa Trust has awarded the construction contract to a Lahore-based company, with the agreement requiring completion of the grey structure within 13 months.
Trust President Maj. Gen. (Retd) Rehmat Khan described the development as part of the organization’s long-term plan to increase access to quality eye care services.
A formal commencement ceremony was held at the construction site, attended by Trust officials, engineers, consultants, and construction teams.
What facilities will the hospital provide?
The planned hospital will include 20 operation theatres and equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of eye diseases and vision disorders.
Once operational, the facility is expected to treat more than 600,000 patients annually. Al-Shifa Trust estimates that approximately 20 million people could benefit from the hospital’s services.
The organization says free treatment will continue to be available for eligible low-income and underprivileged patients under its existing patient support programs.
Why does the project matter?
The expansion comes amid ongoing challenges related to vision loss in Pakistan. According to figures cited by Al-Shifa Trust, more than 26 million people in the country live with blindness or partial vision impairment.
Cataracts account for more than half of blindness cases, while a large proportion of vision-related conditions are considered preventable or treatable through timely medical intervention. Central Punjab is reported to have one of the highest rates of blindness in the country, increasing demand for specialized eye care services.
Healthcare experts generally view expanded access to screening, surgery, and treatment facilities as important for reducing avoidable vision loss.
Who is Al-Shifa Trust?
Al-Shifa Trust is a charitable healthcare organization that has provided eye care services in Pakistan for more than three decades.
The Trust currently operates seven eye hospitals located in Rawalpindi, Sukkur, Kohat, Muzaffarabad, Chakwal, Gilgit, and Haveli Lakha. It also conducts outreach programs and mobile screening camps in remote and underserved areas.
According to the organization, its network has grown from serving approximately 25 patients per day when operations began to treating more than 5,000 patients daily. The Trust says between 80 and 90 percent of its patients receive treatment free of charge.
How is the project being funded?
Al-Shifa Trust has continued fundraising efforts to support construction and future operations of the Lahore facility.
As part of those efforts, the organization recently held a fundraising event featuring performances by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Noor Buksh. During the event, philanthropists pledged approximately Rs100 million toward the project.
What happens next?
Construction work has formally begun, with the initial phase focused on completing the hospital’s structural framework within the agreed timeline.
Once completed and equipped, the Lahore facility is expected to expand specialized eye care capacity in Pakistan and increase access to treatment for patients from Central Punjab and surrounding regions.
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