Free Eye Care and Cataract Surgery in Pakistan: Where to Go and What to Ask

Two charity eye networks in Pakistan say they treat patients free: the Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust (LRBT), with 20 eye hospitals, and the Al-Shifa Trust, which says 90 per cent of its patients pay nothing. You can walk into an LRBT hospital without an appointment. Al-Shifa takes appointments by phone or online.

A cataract is a cloudy lens in the eye. It builds slowly. Colours fade, lights glare, and one day an older relative cannot read the bus number. The surgery is short, and it is one of the cheapest ways to give a person their independence back. The problem is the bill.

So we went to the websites of the hospitals themselves to see who offers free eye care and cataract surgery in Pakistan, and what they say about who qualifies. We name only places whose own pages we could read.

LRBT treats eligible patients free and takes walk-ins

LRBT says its free cataract programme covers the check before surgery, the surgery itself and the care after it, at no cost to eligible patients. It pays for this from donations and Zakat. Its own page says it runs 20 eye hospitals across Pakistan.

LRBT does not publish an income limit on that page. It says the programme is for people from low income households who cannot pay. So go early, bring your CNIC, and expect staff to ask about your circumstances. Call the number first to find the hospital nearest you, because the page lists the network but not each address.

Al-Shifa Trust says 90 per cent of its patients pay nothing

The Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital says on its own website that 90 per cent of its patients are treated free, and that it has treated over 32 million people. It lists eight sites: Rawalpindi, an Islamabad clinic, Sukkur, Kohat, Muzaffarabad, Chakwal, Haveli Lakha and Gilgit-Baltistan.

You can book online on its website or call (051) 5487821, extension 263, for appointments. The main exchange is (051) 5487821-5. The trust also runs free eye surgical camps in towns far from a hospital, so ask your local council or health office whether one is planned near you.

The word "free" can hide a catch. The 90 per cent figure means most patients pay nothing, not that every patient does. Ask what you will pay before you agree to a lens or a private room.

Government hospitals run eye departments, but we could not confirm a national scheme

Public teaching hospitals and district hospitals have eye units, and treatment at government hospitals is far cheaper than private care. For Punjab, the Sehat Card authority itself says treatment in government hospitals is free. The detail is in what the Sehat Card covers now.

Pakistan also has a national programme for the prevention and control of blindness. We could not open an official page that sets out its current rules, camps or free surgery limits, so we do not list them as facts. If you need a government option, go to the eye outpatient department at your district or teaching hospital and ask what is free that day.

The Sehat Card helps with admission, and eye cover is not confirmed

Sehat Card cover applies when you are admitted, not for an outpatient eye test or glasses. In Punjab, the card now covers half the cost for many non-emergency treatments at private empanelled hospitals. We found no page that names cataract surgery as covered or excluded in either province.

1. Check your eligibility by CNIC on the programme's channel for your province.
2. Ask the empanelled hospital in writing whether cataract surgery is covered, and at what share.
3. Ask for the total cost, including the lens, before you sign.
4. If you are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, read how to check your KP Sehat Card Plus eligibility first.
5. If the answer is no, go to LRBT or Al-Shifa, or the government eye outpatient department.

If you are unsure whom to ask, Punjab's other free health programmes are worth a look. And if you want a general free hospital in Karachi, there is free treatment at Indus Hospital, though we did not confirm its eye services.

Warning signs that need care the same day

Do not queue for a camp if the problem is sudden. Eye doctors treat these as emergencies:

• Sudden loss of vision, in one eye or both.
• A dark curtain or shadow moving across your sight.
• A burst of new floaters or flashing lights.
• Severe eye pain with redness, or pain with nausea.
• A chemical splash or a hit to the eye.

Go to the nearest hospital emergency department right away. Rinse a chemical splash with clean water for several minutes on the way. Slow, painless blurring is the usual cataract pattern, and it can wait for a clinic. People with diabetes should have their eyes checked every year, even if their sight seems fine.

Common questions

Is cataract surgery free in Pakistan?

It is free for eligible patients at LRBT, and most Al-Shifa patients say they pay nothing. Private hospitals charge, so ask for the cost first.

Do I need an appointment at LRBT?

No. LRBT's page says no prior appointment is needed, and patients are seen first come, first served.

Can I get free glasses?

We found no hospital page that promises free glasses to everyone. Ask at the eye outpatient department or an LRBT clinic about what is supplied.

Does the Sehat Card cover cataract surgery?

We found no page that confirms it either way. The card covers admission only, so ask the empanelled hospital before you book.

What documents should I bring?

Bring your original CNIC, any old eye reports and a list of your medicines.

When is an eye problem an emergency?

Sudden vision loss, a moving shadow, severe pain with redness, or any injury or chemical splash needs a hospital the same day.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 7 October 2026. We read LRBT's own page on free cataract treatment and the Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital website. We did not visit any hospital, and we did not confirm the income test either trust applies, because neither publishes one. We could not find an official page for the national blindness programme. Phone numbers and hours change, so call before you travel. This is general information, not medical advice. See an eye doctor for any problem with your sight.