Optometry Department, PIO, Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hosptial Participate in Business Plan Competition 2025 at NUML
In a remarkable achievement, four teams from the Optometry Department, Pakistan Institute of Ophthalmology (PIO), Al Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, participated in the Business Plan Competition 2025 organized by the Department of Management Sciences, National University of Modern Languages (Islamabad Campus), held on November 19th-20th, 2025.
Four of our Optometry teams secured positions within the top 20 out of 80 competing teams from universities across Pakistan, showcasing exceptional creativity, and presentation skills.
We are proud to announce that one of our teams achieved 1st position in the final round, earning a cash prize of PKR 50,000.
This remarkable success reflects the dedication and talent of our brilliant Optometry students, as well as the invaluable mentorship of our Visiting Faculty Member, Mr. Humayain Shuja.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all participating students and faculty for representing PIO Optometry Department with distinction.
Al-Shifa Centre for Community Ophthalmology Continues Mission, Offering Free Eye and Medical Care Across Pakistan.
Al-Shifa Centre for Community Ophthalmology (ACCO) continues its mission to bring light to far-flung areas. Our community outreach team travels to the length and breadth of Pakistan, offering free medical and eye care services to those who lack access to quality treatment.
Recently, our team toured Karachi, conducting free eye surgical and school screening camps to benefit the underserved community in Sindh. A total of 2865 OPDs and 229 free eye surgeries were conducted during the surgical camp. 1409 eye glasses were distributed among those requiring visual aids for enhanced visual acuity. Similarly, a total of 1465 students were screened during our school screening programme.
Throughout the year, our community outreach team continues to bring hope to thousands of people at their doorstep, enabling them to re-experience the joys of life.
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital Hosts Prestigious Royal College of Ophthalmologists London Fellowship Practical Exam for Second Time in Pakistan.
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital has had the honour to host the The Royal College of Ophthalmologists London practical exam for the Fellowship Diploma for the second time in Pakistan. In February 2024, the FRCOphth exam was held for the first time at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi. The Royal College team once again demonstrated confidence in the hospital’s exemplary patient pool and logistics.
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital has had the honour to host the The Royal College of Ophthalmologists London practical exam for the Fellowship Diploma for the second time in Pakistan. In February 2024, the FRCOphth exam was held for the first time at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi. The Royal College team once again demonstrated confidence in the hospital’s exemplary patient pool and logistics.
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital has had the honour to host the The Royal College of Ophthalmologists London practical exam for the Fellowship Diploma for the second time in Pakistan. In February 2024, the FRCOphth exam was held for the first time at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi. The Royal College team once again demonstrated confidence in the hospital’s exemplary patient pool and logistics.
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital has had the honour to host the The Royal College of Ophthalmologists London practical exam for the Fellowship Diploma for the second time in Pakistan. In February 2024, the FRCOphth exam was held for the first time at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi. The Royal College team once again demonstrated confidence in the hospital’s exemplary patient pool and logistics.
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital proudly hosted the Vision Classification of Visually Impaired Athletes participating in the IBSA Goalball Asia / Pacific Championships.
This landmark event was held in Pakistan for the first time. The Low Vision Rehabilitation Centre (Lighthouse) at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital undertook the initiative of conducting vision classifications of all participants, in accordance with international IBSA standards. This significant step reflects Al-Shifa’s commitment towards promoting inclusive eye health and supporting visually impaired athletes in achieving excellence through fair and professional assessment.
Al-Shifa Trust has signed a Tri-Party MoU with Ibn Sina Foundation and Revival Research Institute in Detroit, Michigan with the goal to strengthen global research collaboration.
Al-Shifa Trust has signed a Tri-Party MoU with Ibn Sina Foundation and Revival Research Institute in Detroit, Michigan with the goal to strengthen global research collaboration.
The MoU was signed in a formal ceremony attended by representatives and leadership from all three organizations. The partnership aims to foster collaborative research in various fields of healthcare, with a particular focus on innovation, clinical trials, training, and knowledge exchange between institutions in the United States and Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Irfan Amin, Director Research & Department of Ibn Sina Foundation, said, “This partnership is a milestone in our mission to expand global health research initiatives. By working together, we aim to bring high-quality research opportunities to underserved people and regions while contributing to the global scientific community.”
Dr. Mazhar Jaffry, President & CEO of Revival Research Institute, added, “We are honored to be part of this tri-party collaboration. Combining our strengths will accelerate medical breakthroughs and help build research capacity across borders.”
President of Al-Shifa Eye Trust, General (Retd) Rehmat Khan, shared, “Al-Shifa has long been committed to both service and science. This agreement allows us to expand our impact by connecting with international experts and participating in transformative research.”
Key objectives of the MoU include:
- Facilitating joint research projects and clinical trials.
- Providing training and capacity building for medical and research professionals.
- Promoting knowledge exchange and scientific publications.
- Strengthening healthcare outcomes through evidence-based innovation.
All three organizations look forward to fruitful outcomes that will benefit communities locally and internationally.
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital is set to build South Asia's largest eye care facility in Lahore.
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital is set to build South Asia's largest eye care facility in Lahore. The Punjab government has allocated prime land for the project, which aims to provide services to millions of underprivileged patients.
Major Gen. (Retd.) Rehmat Khan, President of Al-Shifa Trust, announced that the hospital will cater to 2,000 OPD patients daily and conduct at least 500 corneal transplants annually. He praised the Government of Punjab for their pivotal support in granting 64 Kanal of prime land on the Ring Road near Ada Plot, Raiwind, emphasizing the collective efforts behind this humanitarian initiative.
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital Holds Meeting to Launch Cornea Donation Campaign
Al-Shifa Trust, a leading provider of eye care services in Pakistan, recently hosted a meeting of international experts, hospital leadership, and representatives from major healthcare networks to tackle Pakistan’s corneal blindness crisis by launching a nationwide Cornea Donation Campaign. The initiative aims to build a sustainable network for corneal donations and transplants, offering hope to thousands awaiting sight-restoring procedures.
Chaired by Maj Gen (R) Rehmat Khan, President of Al-Shifa Trust, the meeting brought together hospital leadership, international experts, and representatives from major healthcare networks. Attendees included Mr. Collin Ross, Vice President of Eversight Michigan, USA, and Dr. Wajid Ali Khan, Dean & Chief of Medical Services at Al-Shifa Trust along with key hospital officials, including Brig (R) Dr. Khalid Yazdani, Administrator, Mr. Anjum Ehsan, GM Quality & Cornea Donation Program, Mr. Faisal Ahmed, Director IT & Media, and Dr. Umer, Manager Al-Shifa Eye Bank.
Representatives from prominent hospital networks, including Brig (R) Dr. Rana Intisar, Head of Ophthalmology at Fauji Foundation Hospital, and Brig (Retd) Muhammad Sarwar Alvi, Urologist from the Bahria Hospitals Network, also participated. The primary objective of the meeting was to formally launch the Cornea Donation Program in Pakistan. This initiative seeks to address the growing number of patients suffering from corneal blindness by creating a robust hospital network to facilitate corneal donations and transplants.
President Maj Gen (R) Rehmat Khan emphasized the hospital's commitment to leading the fight against preventable blindness and creating public awareness about the importance of cornea donation programs in Pakistan. "This initiative marks a significant step toward ensuring that patients waiting for corneal transplants receive timely support and treatment," he said during the meeting.
Mr. Collin Ross from Eversight Michigan highlighted the importance of international collaboration and shared insights from global best practices in cornea donation programs. Whereas, Prof. Dr. Wajid Ali Khan reiterated the hospital's mission to expand partnerships with hospitals nationwide to establish a seamless cornea donation and transplantation system. He underscored the importance of formal hospital networks to support patients awaiting transplants.
The campaign seeks to build a national cornea donation and transplant network to reduce dependency on international donors and provide timely care for patients suffering from corneal blindness. The meeting concluded with a strong commitment to developing a sustainable system for cornea donation and transplantation in Pakistan.
President of Al-Shifa Trust Inaugurates Genetic Ophthalmology Lab
President Al-Shifa Trust, Maj Gen (Retd) Rehmat Khan performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the inauguration of the Genetic Ophthalmology Lab at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi on January 8, 2025.
The ceremony was graced by the presence of Brig. Waqar, Commandant AFIO, Brig (Retd) Khalid Yazdani, Administrator - Al-Shifa Trust, Brig (Retd) Arshad Mehmood, Project Director - Al-Shifa Trust, Prof. Dr. Tayyab Afghani, HOD and Professor - Al-Shifa Trust, Prof. Dr. Nadeem Qureshi, Chief Consultant & HOD, Retina Dept, Prof. Dr. Sabihuddin, General Opthalmology Dept, Dr. Rutaba, Geneticist, Prof. Dr. Aneesa Sultan, Quaid-e-Azam University, Prof. Dr. Saba Irshad, University of Punjab - Lahore, Dr. Saad Sarfaraz, University of Agriculture - Faisalabad, Dr. Faheem Azhar, Faisalabad, and other representatives of Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Department of Ophthalmic Genetics for their expansion to now offer advanced genetics testings at Al-Shifa Trust, free of cost.
