Project Details.

CBM, in partnership with Aid to Leprosy Patients (ALP), implemented the Prevention of Blindness Programme in selected districts of Punjab and the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) since 1999; however, the current phase of the program spans over a period ranging from 2016 to 2018. 

The program focuses on the provision of eye care services at the primary level, which includes equipping selected government-run Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Rural Health Centres (RHCs) with the equipment for refraction, training leprosy ophthalmic technicians in a one-year refraction course, referring cataract patients to secondary and territory-level hospitals for surgeries, raising awareness among government health care staff working at primary-level facilities in the public sector, and improving accessibility of the BHUs where these refraction centers are established. The technicians who provide services at the primary level are unique as they are also responsible for the identification of leprosy cases in their respective catchment areas. 

That is why the technician is named Leprosy Ophthalmic Technician (LOT). The objectives of the program were as follows: To improve the quality of life of people with vision impairments in Pakistan An increasing number of patients benefit from duly strengthened primary eye care services in selected areas of Punjab2 and Hazara Division of KP. 

HIMAT Consulting held a meeting with CBM and extracted key findings from the review. HCPL drafted the inception report and finalized it as per the feedback of the CBM team. HIMAT Consulting developed data collection tools (questionnaires, FGD, and KII guides). HIMAT Consulting recruited and trained the data collection team. HIMAT Consulting held FGDs and KIIs with doctors and partner team members. HIMAT Consulting conducted data quality assurance through field monitoring visits while collecting primary data. 

HIMAT Consulting validated data quality while receiving data daily through Kobo online data collection tools. HIMAT Consulting analyzed of the data and present the findings to CBM. HIMAT Consulting drafted the end of the project report and finalized it based on the feedback of CBM.