Diabetic Retinopathy Screening at Ghazi Eye Camp
Following the April launch of the Haripur pilot study, Sight Relief continued its momentum in May with a successful eye camp held on May 25th at the Type D Hospital in Ghazi, Haripur. This event offered not only essential clinical services but also practical field training for health workers as part of the ongoing 6-month pilot.
Field Training with Arclight Devices
At this camp, Sight Relief’s core team and trained health workers used the Arclight ophthalmoscope to screen patients for a variety of eye conditions. The eye camp served as a live learning environment, reinforcing hands-on skills taught during previous training sessions and helping build confidence in using diagnostic tools in real-world settings.
First-Ever Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Station
For the first time, Sight Relief introduced a dedicated diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening station within an outreach setting. Patients with diabetes were dilated and examined using the Arclight pioneering binocular indirect ophthalmoscope (BIO) a highly portable tool designed for examining the retina and optic nerve.
“This is a phenomenal piece of kit. For the first time, our team could clearly perform a widefield retinal examination using such a compact and affordable device. The ability to visualise the back of the eye so clearly in the field is a game-changer for rural diabetic eye care.”
All four optometrists working with Sight Relief during the camp had the opportunity to use the Arclight Indirect. Each expressed enthusiasm for its usability and clinical value, particularly in low-resource environments where traditional equipment may be unavailable.
Early Detection, Urgent Referral
Several patients were identified with sight-threatening diabetic macular swelling and were urgently referred for specialist treatment. Early detection of this kind can prevent irreversible vision loss and demonstrates the impact of integrating DR screening into community outreach.
A Vision for Integrated Services
This camp exemplifies Sight Relief’s commitment to combining field-based training with high-impact service delivery. By incorporating both primary eye care tools and retinal screening technology, the Ghazi camp marked a new standard in rural outreach.
The diabetic retinopathy station will now become a core feature of future eye camps, ensuring patients with diabetes are not left behind in the fight against avoidable blindness.
Help Us Bring Vision to Every Community
At Sight Relief, we’re proving that simple tools, strong training, and local partnerships can transform eye care, even in the most remote areas. With your support, we can train more health workers, screen more patients, and prevent avoidable blindness across Pakistan.
- Donate today to help us expand diabetic eye screening and rural outreach.
- Partner with us to scale innovative solutions like the Arclight Devices.
- Follow our journey as we bring sustainable, sight-saving care to those who need it most.