Poostchi Subspecialty Eye Hospital and Clinic

Poostchi Subspecialty Eye Hospital and Clinic (درمانگاه و بیمارستان چشم پوستچی) is a teaching and treatment center located in Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran, affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. It was founded in 1958.^[1]

In 1952, serious eye diseases such as trachoma, cataracts, glaucoma, and chronic corneal diseases were widespread in Shiraz and its surrounding towns, often leading to blindness due to limited medical and sanitary facilities. In June 1952, Enayatollah Poostchi traveled to the United Kingdom for medical treatment. During his stay, he frequently discussed with relatives and friends his intention to establish an ophthalmology clinic and hospital, considering it one of his main goals.^[2]

Upon returning from his trip, Poostchi purchased a 2,517 m² plot of land on Zand Street, one of Shiraz’s prime locations, and allocated 400,000 tomans from his personal funds for the hospital’s construction. After his death in 1952, the trustee of his estate sold part of Poostchi’s personal property to raise funds for the project. Construction work on the hospital began in 1958, but due to factors such as insufficient budget, progress was slow. Eventually, in 1963, the 1,500 m² clinic building was completed. In the same year, advanced medical equipment was purchased from Germany and installed, allowing the hospital to begin admitting patients from across the country.^[2]

In 1963, the hospital staff included: 1. Dr. Borjis – Hospital Director 2. Dr. Mohammad Hossein Jamalabadi – Ophthalmologist 3. Mohammad Bagher Adeli – Pharmacy Manager 4. Mohammad Hadi Tagha – Accountant 5. Ghasem Honarvar – Guard 6. Asad Zare – Gardener

Over time, with increasing patient visits from southern Iran, the number of physicians and staff grew with the cooperation of Shiraz University.^[2]

In 1969, a cooperation agreement was signed between the then-president of Shiraz University, Dr. Nahavandi, and the interim trustee of the endowment. That same year, under the leadership of Dr. Ali-Asghar Khodadoust, head of the Ophthalmology Department of Shiraz Medical School, subspecialty ophthalmology training courses for medical students began. By 1979, the hospital’s outpatient clinics had increased to seven.^[3]

In 1973, the first eye bank in Iran was established at Poostchi Hospital through the efforts of Ali-Asghar Khodadoust, enabling corneal transplantation operations.

In 2000, with the cooperation of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and the Fars Endowments Organization, the hospital’s ophthalmology research department – one of its most important sections – was inaugurated.

To provide financial support for the hospital, Enayatollah Poostchi purchased half ownership of the village of Akbarabad Quran, which he endowed to the Poostchi Ophthalmology Hospital under endowment deed No. 16925.

Since 1997, with the efforts of the Endowments and Charity Affairs Organization of Shiraz District 5, the hospital’s ophthalmology research center was established with the necessary facilities, considered the first of its kind in Iran.

In 2017, the clinic was equipped with an OCT (optical coherence tomography) device for high-precision imaging of eye layers with reduced error rates – the first of its kind in the public sector.^[6]

• Official website