About South Asian Projects
In 1995, Earth Mission helped open the Gilgit Eye Hospital with the express purpose of providing quality eye care to people in the remote, Gilgit-Baltistan area of Pakistan. Operating under a protocol agreement with the government, the hospital employs 25 local staff including a local ophthalmologist. Services include an outpatient clinic, a full optical workshop, a well stocked pharmacy and day surgery. Over the years, thousands of people blinded by cataracts have been successfully treated with modern surgical techniques and thanks to the availability of inexpensive intraocular lens, most now see normally.
In 2002 Earth Mission opened the Gilgit Education and Rehabilitation Center. This program includes a boarding option and provides help for the physical, emotional and educational needs of blind children. In addition, a community based program offers help for a wider range of physically-limited children and their families in the Gilgit-Baltistan area.
While Earth Mission continues to assist in the funding of these projects, an international board, Vision International/Pakistan, monitors and provides direction for both the Gilgit Eye Hospital and the Gilgit Education and Rehabilitation Center.