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Four public health students from the College of Health Sciences (CHS) at Qatar University (QU) recently visited Bangladesh for five days to familiarize themselves with the Qatar Creating Vision program, an initiative of Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) in collaboration with Orbis. The trip also aimed to observe Qatar Charity funded programs based in Bangladesh.

During the visit the students became acquainted with three partner hospitals in different areas in Bangladesh, Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital in Dhaka, Chittagong Eye Infirmary and Training Complex and Cox’s Bazar Baitush Sharaf Hospital. Additionally, the students and Associate Professor Dr. Lily O’Hara from the Public Health Department in CHS visited the Rohingya refugee camps and a number of vision centers within the local host community.

Sahar Elsaleh, a senior Public Health Management student, shared her experience of the trip saying, “That moment when we captured the smiles on the children’s faces who got to see the world again after finally having prescription eyeglasses; we realized that there is no truer meaning of joy in life other than the one you feel when you help another person in need.”

Eman AlBahrani, also a senior Public Health Management student, said, "In our trip, we had the opportunity to speak with health managers and the Rohingya refugee leaders to hear their points of view. Based on these stories and the work done by Orbis, QFFD and their many partner hospitals, we learned that no global outreach program is successful without community engagement.”

Rodaina Hashem, a senior Public Health Education student said, “Health care practitioners working in partner hospitals care about providing quality care for their patients without discrimination. Nevertheless, the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders are essential to ensure health equity and to improve their quality of life.”

Whereas Sara Alsaffar, a senior Public Health Management student, expressed her deep gratitude to QU, Orbis, and QFFD saying, “This program was a great opportunity to meet people and understand the real issues they are facing, and to transfer the theoretical knowledge we learned at the university to the actual world. This life-changing experience altered my world perspective and opened my eyes to the humanity and perseverance of displaced people in the face of difficulty and injustice.”

Through active research agendas and community outreach efforts, the Department of Public Health in QU and its team of experienced faculty members work together in a student-centered environment while contributing to the broader public health landscape inside the country and beyond.

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