Overview – Lions Charitable Eye Hospital & Institute, Chattogram

Lions charitable Eye Hospital, Chittagong had a humble beginning in 1963 when the Father of Lionisum in Bangladesh; the late Ln. M.R. Siddique, 4 times District Governor and the First Commerce Minister of Bangladesh established the OPD of this hospital in a small tin shed on a small land leased to the Lions Club of Chittagong. This was done with a view to providing free eye treatment to the poor. In the year 1965, with the contribution from Lions and philanthropists in Chittagong, the first Charitable Eye Hospital in the Sub-Continent was started in the two-storied building Known as the “Lions Den”.

To run this hospital efficiently; The Chittagong Lions Foundation was formed in the year 1966 with representatives from all Lions Clubs based in Chittagong. Later on, this hospital has grown into a 100-bed facility providing free or subsidized cataract surgery to poor patients; particularly to the poor patients of off-shore islands and the remote hill districts of the Chittagong Division.

We have been organizing outreach camps with the help of our Lions members to bring primary eye care to the doorsteps of the unreached people of these remote areas. Since 1965, we organized 4448 outreach camps and carried out 61,888 surgeries in our hospital on the patients selected from these camps. We treated more than 2 million patients in these outreach camps over the last 50 years. In some camps, we have as many as 3000 patients out of which about 15% are selected for cataract surgeries.

Now our hospital has turned into a modern eye hospital with the assistance from operation Eyesight Universal, LCIF and local donors. We have sufficient ophthalmologists and reasonable equipment to provide Eye treatment and Eye Surgeries at affordable cost to the patients. Further assistance from LCIF will help us turn this hospital into a Tertiary Eye Hospital and Ophthalmic Institute; producing urgently needed Ophthalmologists and ophthalmic Paramedics for the country.
At Present we are carrying out SICS & Phaco Surgeries, DCR, Pterigium, foreign body removal, DCT, Chalazion, trabecetctomy enucleation and evisceration surgeries.

We are also providing diabetic macular oedema diagnosis other maculapathy for varied kinds of diseases with the help of recently procured OCT Machine. We are using OCT machine for diagnoses of early glaucoma by analyzing the optic nerve head and retinal nerve fiber layers analysis.

We are starting pediatric cataract surgery, pediatric squint surgery and other pediatric surgeries in our newly opened pediatric ophthalmology clinic.

We also intend to open a Glaucoma Clinic and a diabetic wing to cater to the needs of eye patients who have diabetes.

During the last year, we treated 69,448 patients in our hospital out of which 2516 patients were offered surgeries. 68,138 patients were treated in outreach camps out of which 4590 patients were detected with cataract but only 1879 patients turned up for surgeries in our hospital.

Facts & Figures

Since Lions Charitable Eye Hospital which is a pride project of The Chittagong Lions Foundation has come a long way in terms of providing efficient expert and inexpensive ophthalmic services by our trained doctors and experienced managing team, we are in rapid progress of distributing our services more widely.

Our Vision

All people of the World may enjoy the gift of sight.

Humanitarianism

We will respect our historical beginning and continue to move forward with a focus on volunteerism and worldwide philanthropy.

Excellence

We will achieve highest standards of professionalism in all we do individually, as an organization and in combination with our partners.

Good Governance

We will ensure that our stewardship of the resources for which we are responsible is above reproach in all that we do.

Ethical Behavior

We will be open, honest and transparent in all our activities.

Sustainability

We will work to ensure that all programs that we support, have the capacity to become self-sustaining and they grow and continue.

Enjoyment

We will work to ensure that all who are associated with Chittagong Lions

Respect

We will treat eye care beneficiaries, partners, donors, staffs, volunteers and service providers with care, respect, dignity and appreciation regardless of gender, race, culture and creed.

Team Work

We will appreciate and employ the strength of our colleagues, partners and investors in all we do; both within the organization and externally.

Foundation

(CLF) contribute their experience and seek continuing relationship with the organization.

At Present we are carrying out SICS & Phaco Surgeries, DCR, Pterigium, foreign body removal, DCT, Chalazion, trabecetctomy enucleation and evisceration surgeries.

We are starting pediatric cataract surgery, pediatric squint surgery and other pediatric surgeries in our newly opened pediatric ophthalmology clinic.

We also intend to open a Glaucoma Clinic and a diabetic wing to cater to the needs of eye patients who have diabetes.