RAK Hospital to set up Eye Care Centre in association with India’s LVPEI

RAK Hospital, the 65-bed premium healthcare facility accredited by Joint Commission International and Swiss Leading Hospitals, today signed an agreement with India’s L V Prasad Eye Institute, an internationally renowned advanced tertiary care centre based in Hyderabad, India and Medfort Hospitals to set up a state- of- the- art eye care facility in Ras Al Khaimah.

The agreement was signed by Raza Siddiqui, Executive Director of RAK Hospital and ETA Star Healthcare and Dr. G S K Velu, Chairman of Medfort Hospitals, at a function held at the Al Dhait Palace here in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah, and Dr. Gullapalli N Rao, Chairman of L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI).

Speaking after the signing ceremony, H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi said “We are happy to have this partnership between RAK Hospital and a renowned institution like L V Prasad Eye Institute as we focus on enhancing the healthcare provision capabilities of the Emirate and make it a destination for quality healthcare in the region.”

Raza Siddiqui, Executive Director, RAK Hospital and ETA Star Healthcare, said that RAK Hospital is proud to establish this relationship with L V Prasad Eye Institute in line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Saud to position Ras Al Khaimah as a destination for quality healthcare. He added that the facility will not only benefit the people of the Emirates but provide comprehensive eye care for the neighbouring countries.

The new RAK LVPEI facility will come up near the RAK Hospital campus and will be staffed by doctors and nurses from the LVPEI. It is scheduled to be operational in one year.

L V Prasad Eye Institute is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness and offers comprehensive patient care, sight enhancement and rehabilitation services, and high-impact eye health programs. It also pursues cutting-edge research and offers training in human resources for all levels of ophthalmic personnel.

Since its establishment in 1987, LVPEI has provided outpatient services to over six million people and surgical care to over half a million patients. In the last 23 years, it has reached 11 million people and has trained over 12,000 eye care personnel from India and abroad.  The Institute’s innovative and comprehensive approach to community eye health, known as the LVPEI Eye Health Pyramid, has been adopted as a model by the Government of India and by many other developing countries.

As one of its first initiatives, RAK LVPEI will take up a unique and first of its kind community screening program for blindness prevention for the entire population of Ras Al Khaimah.

Dr. G N Rao, Chairman, LVPEI said, “Blindness and vision impairment are major public health problems all over the world, including the UAE region. Consequently, there is a great need to develop eye care centres of high quality in the area. At LVPEI, we are delighted to collaborate with RAK Hospital and Medfort in the development of world class eye care services, leading to the creation of a centre of excellence in eye care. This would encompass services to tackle all eye care problems.”

Dr. G S K Velu, Chairman, Medfort Hospitals, said, “Prevention, early diagnosis, and cost-effective management of eye disorders are of paramount importance in the UAE and the GCC region. Medfort, one of the India's largest and most reputed diabetic and eye care network, is excited to partner with RAK Hospital and LVPEI to create a world class centre of excellence in RAK, with multiple spokes in the region to provide high quality cost-effective eye care diagnosis and treatment, covering all areas of eye care, viz. cataract surgery, refractive surgery including Lasik corrections, glaucoma, vitreo retinal surgeries, and other advanced treatment techniques necessary for eye care. The centre will aim to provide the most cost-effective, high-quality, and comprehensive eye care facilities to the entire population of the UAE by creating presence in all the Emirates of the UAE within one year from now.”

Also present at the signing ceremony were Sheikh Omar bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAK Bank and RAK Airways, Sheikh Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAK Civil Aviation, Sheikh Mohammed bin Kayed Al Qasimi, Vice Chairman of RAK Department of Economic Development, heads of government departments and doctors and senior management of RAK Hospital.