Quality Eye Care at JPMC, Karachi With Patients’ Aid Foundation
Sight is a blessing that allows us to recognise the faces we love, read a child’s schoolbook, earn a living and find our way through the world. Yet, for many families in Karachi and across Pakistan, access to timely eye care remains a challenge. This World Sight Day, let us recognise the value of healthy vision and support the people who make eye treatment accessible to those who cannot afford it.
The Quran reminds us,
“Have We not made for him two eyes?” Surah Al-Balad, verse 8
This verse invites reflection on the gifts we often take for granted. At Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Patients’ Aid supports healthcare facilities that serve patients from financially vulnerable backgrounds such as Interior Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, KPK and beyond. Patients’ Aid’s contribution to the renovation and improvement of many departments at Jinnah hospital including the ophthalmology department reflects a simple but meaningful purpose: helping more people receive the eye care they need, regardless of their financial circumstances. Learn about Patients’ Aid Foundation’s healthcare mission.
How Patients’ Aid Foundation Supports Eye Care at JPMC
For someone experiencing blurred vision, persistent eye discomfort or a gradual loss of sight, reaching the right medical facility can make an important difference. But diagnosis and treatment require more than a hospital building. They depend on suitable equipment, functional clinical spaces and access to qualified medical professionals.
Patients’ Aid Foundation, working alongside the Government of Sindh, has supported the development of healthcare facilities at JPMC since 1990. Its ophthalmology initiative includes the renovation and expansion of the eye ward, improved outpatient facilities for children and adults, and equipment to support eye examinations and surgical procedures.
According to the Patients’ Aid Foundation’s 2024 annual report, its ophthalmology support included surgical microscopes, a vitrectomy machine and paediatric lenses. The department also introduced a more organised outpatient arrangement, with separate areas for male and female patients.
These improvements matter because specialist eye care depends on appropriate diagnostic and surgical resources. For patients who might otherwise delay treatment because of financial hardship, better-equipped public healthcare facilities can make specialist assessment more accessible.
Ameer’s Story Shows Why Access to Eye Care Matters!
Five-year-old Ameer Mavia developed a serious eye condition that threatened his vision, leaving his family unable to afford private treatment. At the Ophthalmology Department of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), doctors conducted detailed investigations and discovered a brain tumour affecting his optic nerve. With treatment provided through JPMC and assistance from Patients’ Aid Foundation, Ameer underwent surgery successfully, offering his family renewed hope for his vision and future.
His story reflects the importance of accessible specialist care for families facing financial hardship. For Ameer’s parents, the support they received meant their only child could receive essential treatment when private healthcare was beyond their means.
Your donation can help sustain the facilities, equipment and patient services that make eye care possible. Support Patients’ Aid Foundation through an online donation.
Why Healthy Eyes Matter More Than We Realise
Vision influences almost every part of daily life. It helps children learn, adults work safely, older people maintain independence and families carry out ordinary routines with confidence.
When vision deteriorates, even familiar activities can become difficult. Reading a prescription, crossing a busy road, recognising a loved one from a distance or preparing a meal may require additional effort. For people whose livelihoods depend on their eyesight, untreated eye conditions can also affect household income and financial stability.
World Sight Day is observed solely for the reason to highlight the importance of accessible eye care worldwide. The message is especially relevant for communities where the cost of medical consultations, diagnostic tests or surgery may discourage people from seeking help.
Eye Conditions That Deserve Timely Medical Attention
Several eye conditions can affect vision and require professional assessment. Early diagnosis may help prevent avoidable complications, although outcomes depend on the condition and its severity.
| Eye condition | Why medical attention matters |
| Cataracts | Clouding of the eye’s natural lens can cause blurred vision and difficulty seeing clearly. |
| Glaucoma | Damage to the optic nerve can lead to permanent vision loss, often without noticeable early symptoms. |
| Corneal diseases | Conditions affecting the cornea may cause pain, blurred vision or sensitivity to light. |
| Retinal disorders | Problems involving the retina can affect central or peripheral vision and may require urgent specialist care. |
Regular eye examinations are important even when symptoms are absent. Sudden vision loss, a sudden increase in floaters, flashes of light or severe eye pain require urgent medical assessment.
Inside the JPMC Ophthalmology Department in Karachi
The ophthalmology department at JPMC, commonly known as Jinnah Hospital’s eye unit, is located at Eye Ward 11 within the JPMC OPD and Surgical Complex on Rafiqui Shaheed Road, Karachi.
The department provides access to outpatient eye assessment and specialist services for patients who need evaluation or treatment for different eye conditions. Its facilities support clinical examinations and the management of conditions that may affect vision.
Eye Care Services Available at JPMC
Jinnah’s Ophthalmology department caters outpatient diagnostic services including visual acuity testing, slit-lamp examinations, intraocular pressure checks and fundus evaluations. These assessments help eye specialists investigate vision problems and examine different structures of the eye.
According to the 2024–2025 Annual Report, the department recorded 55,197 outpatient (OPD) visits, 3,487 admissions, and 3,344 surgeries performed.
The department also manages conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, corneal diseases and retinal disorders, including cases requiring surgical treatment.
| Service | Purpose |
| Visual acuity testing | Assesses how clearly a person can see. |
| Slit-lamp examination | Allows detailed examination of the front structures of the eye. |
| Intraocular pressure check | Measures pressure inside the eye and helps assess glaucoma risk. |
| Fundus evaluation | Examines the retina and other structures at the back of the eye. |
| Specialist assessment | Helps determine appropriate management for cataracts, glaucoma and other eye conditions. |
These services support the process of identifying eye problems and determining suitable treatment. The exact investigations and treatment recommended depend on the patient’s symptoms and clinical findings.
JPMC Eye OPD Timings and Emergency Care
Patients planning a routine eye consultation can use the following information to organise their visit.
- Location: Eye Ward 11, JPMC OPD and Surgical Complex, Karachi
- OPD timings: Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
- Emergency care: Eye emergencies and trauma are managed through the hospital’s 24-hour Accident and Emergency department.
Patients should confirm current outpatient arrangements with JPMC before travelling, particularly when seeking a specific specialist or surgical service.
Help Keep Eye Care Accessible for Families Who Need It
A medical facility can offer skilled professionals and appropriate equipment, but sustained improvements also require funding, maintenance and continued support. This is where community generosity becomes important.
Patients’ Aid Foundation raises donations and channels them towards healthcare infrastructure, equipment and services at JPMC. Beyond ophthalmology, its work supports more than 20 departments, including emergency care, radiology, dialysis, oncology and other specialist services.
Donations help maintain a broader system of healthcare for patients who may arrive at the hospital with serious medical needs and limited financial resources. Supporting this work means contributing to a healthcare environment where financial hardship does not have to be the deciding factor in whether someone seeks medical attention.
Ways to Support Patients’ Aid Foundation
You can contribute through several established donation channels:
- Online donations: Donate to Patients’ Aid Foundation
- Bank transfers: View official donation and Zakat bank details
- Doorstep collection in Karachi: 0301-8278222, 021-99223875, 021-99223900, 021-99223901 to inquire about donation or Zakat collection.
The foundation also accepts Zakat through designated channels and states that its Zakat processes are Shariah-compliant. Donors should select the appropriate fund and confirm its permitted use before contributing.
Let’s Give Someone More Reasons to Look Ahead
Imagine being able to read a familiar page clearly again, recognise your family without struggling or return to everyday tasks with greater confidence. For someone facing an eye condition, access to timely medical care can influence far more than what they see. It can affect how they learn, work, move through the world and participate in family life.
Not every eye condition can be prevented or fully treated, but timely assessment and appropriate care can make a meaningful difference. That is why support for public healthcare facilities matters.
This World Sight Day, remember that the gift of sight deserves attention not only when vision begins to fade, but also when another person needs help protecting it. Patients’ Aid Foundation’s support for ophthalmology services at JPMC is part of a wider effort to make healthcare more accessible to people who might otherwise struggle to obtain it.
Give today. Help sustain eye care, strengthen public healthcare and support patients who need treatment without the burden of unaffordable medical expenses.
Donate to Patients’ Aid Foundation and support free healthcare at JPMC
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/patientsaidjpmc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patientsaidjpmc/
Linked in https://www.linkedin.com/company/patientsaidjpmc/
