Deep Eye Care Foundation started its first Retina service in Rangpur in 2012 and established the first Vitreo-Retina (VR) service in 2016. It is one of the major tertiary care eye hospitals receiving referral cases from all over Bangladesh. The clinic has state-of-the-art equipment for the investigation and treatment of various Vitreo retinal diseases.

The retina is a thin tissue layer located in the back of each of our eyes near the optic nerve. It is composed of alternating layers of cells in order to best interpret and direct the light coming in through our eyes. It’s an important part of our eye that assists in processing light and sending signals to our brain to help translate what we see. It is essential to our vision, and diseases and conditions affecting the retina can lead to permanent blindness. Vitreo Retina department deals with the patients having vitreo-retinal disorders that can be managed medically or by surgical intervention. The department is equipped with modern facilities like Fluorescein angiography, Optical Coherence Tomography, Color Fundus Photography and Laser services. The department also provides counseling to the patients.

Applying the WHO suggested criteria, about 1.6 million population have DR and about 80,000 people are blind due to DR in Bangladesh. By 2030, the number of diabetic patients will almost be doubled in comparison to 2000 and, hence, the number of blind people due to DR will be 125,000 or even more.

This explosion in diabetes prevalence will place Bangladesh among the top ten countries in the world in terms of the number of people suffering from diabetes and related diseases.

There are 11.4million people living in the five districts of the Greater Rangpur region and most of them are poor and underserved.

According to the prevalence of Diabetic patients in the population, there are 427,500 diabetics. Approximately 115,425 people are suspected DR and 5800 people are blind due to DR in five proposed districts.