S.Z. Parvez  ( Eye Specialist Pakistan Medicos International, Karachi. )

The first every eye camp for the Afghan refugees was recently inaugurated in Jaluzai Peshawar District by the Federal Minister of Health, Government of Pakistan.
Organized by Pakistan Medicos International the camp at Jaluzai, complete with facilities for out patient, beds and operation theatre started functioning from 2 February 1982 in tents pegged in the midst of the refugee camp. This, as the Afghan Refugee Commissioner pointed out, brought medical help to the refugees right to their doorsteps.
The need for the camp was obvious from the number of people who turned up for help. Most of the cases seen as out-patients had trachoma-one of the major cause of blindness all over the third world. However, in the case of cataracts other were less than had been expected.
Out patients were provided with glasses and medicines accordng to their needs.
As patient non-cooperation had been ex-pected operation Vocedure was pntensified and 8 0 virgin silk sutures were employed and cornio ,sieral wounds were secured with as much-iS five stitches. As a result of the extra cars only two cases had capsular extraction, were the central part of the pupil was cleared by removing pieces of broken capsule. Arugas intracapyliar forceps, pressure and counter pressure technique was used for lens extraction.
Post operative complications were negligible. There was only one allergic reaction to Atropine drops which was controlled by Dexamethasone eye drops. Operative patients were taken care of for five days with bandage being removed every day and doctors and technicians constantly in attendance. An ambulance was always at hand.
All operations at this camp were successful with no post-operative complications. For the duration of the camp the small government hospital was for the first time, full of patients both indoor and as out-patients.
A similar camp was held at another Peshawar site at Azakhel where in addition to tents the facilities provided by the Pirpai Government Hospital adjacent to the refugee camp were utilized for operations and post operative cases.
In addition to the team of eye specialists from Karachi, Dr. Murad of Peshawar Lady Reading Hospital kindly lent one of his house surgeons for out-patient work at the Jaluzai camp, and also provided operation tables.