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ISLAMABAD, Jan 09 (APP):Major General (Retd) Rehmat Khan, president of Al-Shifa Trust(AST)Eye Hospital, has said that Genetic testing could alleviate uncertainty and guide individuals in making informed decisions about healthcare management.
Speaking at a seminar to inaugurate Pakistan’s first genetic testing lab for eyes, he said that a positive outcome following genetic testing can guide individuals toward available options for prevention, monitoring, and treatment.
Major General (Retd) Rehmat Khan said that all the patients at the trust will get free testing even though ophthalmic genetics and DNA diagnosis are very costly processes.
Ophthalmic genetics was a subspecialty of ophthalmology focusing on genetic conditions affecting the eye, which involves studying the causes, patterns of transmission, projection, and treatment of eye diseases caused by genetic defects, he informed.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Tayyab Afghani, consultant and Head of Department of Orbit and Oculoplastic Department at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, said that Pakistan has a higher rate of eye cancer in children than its nearby countries.
He said that every year, different trust centers treat about 700 kids with eye cancer. This is twice as many as in India, right next door.
Afghani added that genetic testing of parents could help control this occurrence in future generations. These tests provide information about how likely cancer will be possible in children.
Tayyab said that if the problem was found early, it could be fixed before it worsens and could lead to loss of sight, eye loss, or even total blindness.
He said people should not be careless about eye cancer. The number of people with eye cancer was going up, so they should see a doctor right away.
Most people who go to hospitals are in the very last stages of their illness.
Afghani said that most of the kids with eye cancer come from low-income families who live in far-flung areas where there weren’t any specialised eye hospitals.
He said that some tumours were incurable, while others may severely disfigure eyes, requiring complex surgical procedures. However, eye problems due to cancer need more time and effort to be treated.
Dr Rutaba Gul briefed the media persons about the development.
Prof. Dr Shahid Mehmood Baig, Prof. Dr Saba Irshad, Prof. Dr Aneesa Sultan, Dr. Saad Sarfaraz, Dr Faheem Azher, Prof. Dr Wajid Ali Khan and others also spoke on the occasion.