Eye care should be an integral part of comprehensive health care: Orbis CEO

COX’S BAZAR, April 20: Orbis International President and CEO Kathleen A. Sherwin has said eye care should not be considered a standalone service, but an integral part of comprehensive health care.

She made the observation while speaking at a reception dinner Orbis hosted at a Cox’s Bazar hotel on Sunday. Representatives from Orbis’s partners and key stakeholders in Cox’s Bazar, including Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), UN agencies and government agencies and local and international NGOs joined the reception.

Sherwin appreciated relevant government agencies and other stakeholders for their role in delivering service to Rohingya people who have taken shelter in Cox’s Bazar. “Together, you have not only delivered care – you have built a model that the world can learn from,” she said.

In his welcome remarks, Orbis International Bangladesh Country Director Dr Munir Ahmed said the initial emergency phase received strong support from the RRRC office, enabling the identification of key partner eye hospitals and areas of operation.

Orbis International’s Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Mark White and Director Program Finance Oury Diallo, Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Abu Saleh Mohammad Obaidullah, RRRC Health Coordinator Dr Abu Toha MRH Bhuiyan, and Cox’s Bazar 250-bed Sadar Hospital Superintendent Dr. Maung Ting Neo, among others, were present.

Earlier on the day, Sherwin inaugurated the relocated Court Bazar Vision Center of Orbis International at Ukhiya in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday.

Officials from Orbis International Bangladesh Country Office and partner health facility -- Cox’s Bazar Baitush Sharaf Hospital (CBBSH) – were present during the inauguration.

Orbis and its partners expect that the relocated Vision Center will enhance access to primary eye care services for both host communities and Rohingya refugees living in surrounding areas.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Sherwin laid emphasis on strengthening community-based eye care systems to ensure no one is left behind.

She also visited outreach eye screening activities at a Rohingya camp conducted by partner organisations -- Alliance for Cooperation and Legal Aid Bangladesh (ACLAB) and CBBSH. She later toured the Balukhali Vision Center in Ukhiya, where she talked with staff and service seekers to understand the impact of community-based eye care interventions.

During the visit, the Orbis top official interacted with a patient’s family in the Rohingya camp which offered her insight into the challenges displaced communities are facing in accessing eye care services.

As part of her visit, she toured Cox’s Bazar Baitush Sharaf Hospital and met with doctors and management there and reviewed ongoing efforts to strengthen hospital-based eye care services.

Sherwin’s visit to Cox’s Bazar is part of her broader Bangladesh tour aimed at reviewing Orbis programmes, engaging with partners, and exploring opportunities to expand equitable and sustainable eye care services across the country.