Standard Chartered Bangladesh has launched ‘Gift of Sight’, an eye-care initiative in partnership with Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital (IIEI&H) to support tea-growing communities in Kulaura, Moulvibazar.
The initiative will provide eye screening and treatment to more than 7,000 tea garden workers, focusing on cataract, tear-duct conditions, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Around 1,500 patients will receive free cataract surgery, while selected patients will receive DCR and DCT surgeries as needed, said a press release on Tuesday.
Tea garden workers often face generational poverty, economic hardship and a lack of awareness about specialised healthcare. Based on a needs assessment, the initiative aims to close the eye-care gap for this community.
Through several cataract surgery camps, the project will bring eye-care services closer to beneficiaries, provide medicines, and strengthen local capacity for screening and referrals. Patients with diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma will be referred to IIEI&H in Dhaka to ensure continuity of care.
