Dr Geeta K Vemuganti, Prof and Dean, School of Medical Sciences at University of Hyderabad (UoH) recently visited Pakistan (Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpinid) to reciprocate three invitations received from 11th Biennial meeting of SAARC Academy of Ophthalmology and 16th Islamabad Congress of Ophthalmology at Bhurban, Pakistan 3-6th October 2013, Al Shifa Trust Eye Hospital and National Centre for Excellence in Molecular Biology, Government of Pakitsan, Ministry of Education.
She delivered three talks in Ophthalmic Pathology and Stem Cell Therapy at 11th Biennial meeting of SAARC Academy of Ophthalmology and 16th Islamabad Congress of Ophthalmology at Bhurban, Pakistan 3-6th October 2013. This meeting was very well organized and attended by nearly 1300 delegates from different SAARC countries at the hill station, Bhurban, about 2 hours from Islamabad. She was invited to deliver the esteemed Lt Gen Mushtaq Baig Memorial lecture on Stem cell therapy in Ophthalmology during the same meeting. She also interacted with the leaders in ophthalmology and also the Second Secretary, High Commission of India, Mr Shamshad Ansari, who encouraged the scientists and clinicians of both countries to interact with each other for the progress of Science and Research.
Dr Vemuganti also visited Al Shifa trust Eye Hospital, a World Health Organization Collaborating Center For Prevention of Blindness on 7th October to meet the new President Lt. Gen.(Retd.) Hamid Javaid, in the capacity of Life Patron of Al Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, which was conferred to her during her last visit to Pakistan in 2006. She met the Dean, Al Shifa Trust hospital, Dr Wajid Ali Khan and his team to discuss the common interests in ophthalmic pathology, stem cell research and education in optometry and public health.
On 8th of October, Dr Vemuganti visited Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust Hospital (LRBT) at Lahore to meet Dr Qazi and his team to discuss the possibility of collaboration in the area of stem cell therapy and ocular prosthesis as a trilateral collaboration with L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. She then met Dr Tayyab, Director, CEMB and his team to discuss areas of mutual interest especially in areas of regenerative medicine. She also had a two hour discussion with the research students, specifically to follow up on the outcome of limbal stem cell training that some of them received from her earlier. She delivered an invited talk on Stem Cell therapy in Ophthalmology at the National Centre for Excellence in Molecular Biology, located in University of Punjab, Lahore.
Dr Vemuganti appreciated the respect, honor and hospitality extended to her by all the hosts and extended an invitation to them to visit the University, especially to participate in the World Women’s Congress in 2014.