Aout 50,000 people of the two neglected and backward northern districts of Panchagarh and Thakurgaon have been suffering in various eye diseases. And they easily fall prey to different eye diseases due to poverty and unawareness. Since there is no eye treatment center locally, the patients cannot treat their eye diseases. According to a survey of a non-governmental organization(NGO), over 20,000 children of Thakurgaon districts have been suffering from different opthalmological problem. Physicians say lack of nutrition and ignorance were behind the diseses. Moreover, excessive use of pesticides in crop lands and environmental degradation were the reasons behind the eye problems in the districts.

At present Shafiuddin Foundation, an service-oriented private organisation has set up a eye hospital titled ” Vision Centre” at Devipur of Sadar Upazila of Thakurgaon district to serve the eye problems of the people of Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts. The Vision Centre set up in February in 2006 is treating the eye patients of the district. Later the Vision center with the help and cooperation of the international agency ‘Orbis International’ and Dinajpur Gausul Azam Eye Hospital set up the second Vision Center at Lohagarah under Pirganj upazila of Thakurgaon district in 2007. after seeing the situation is aggravating day by day, then the Vision Centre opened two more centers, one at Garea under Sadar upazila of Thakurgaon and the second one at Bhoda of Dinajpur. Foundation chairman Al-haj Tashrifa khatun said 28,800 students of 96 primary schools ill be examined this year free of cost and give treatment to them. A few days ago, the foundation opened a camp at Shabdalhat government primary school and examined eye of 500 children As part of the Sight Testing of students free of cost, the foundation had treated the children through their own doctors. During the treatment it was found that several hundred of children have been suffering from eye diseases, but the children and their guardians are unaware about it.