Awareness and screenings for World Sight Day

AS organisations around the globe celebrated World Sight Day, on Thursday, 9 October, Inkosi Albert Luthuli's Eye Care Unit marked the occasion with free eye tests, screenings and awareness.

Dr Rajeshree Budhoo, an optometrist at the hospital's Eye Care Unit and one of the co-ordinators of the World Sight Day initiative said, “The screenings were important to draw attention to avoidable blindness and rehabilitation.

Budhoo said they wanted to create much needed awareness because statistics show that around 696 million people around the world are needlessly blind or visually impaired, yet with early detection and treatment, their quality of life as well as productivity can be improved in children as scholars in classrooms or adults in the workplace.

Zama Meyiwa, a nurse at the hospital said it was the best thing they could do. “I really appreciated the free screening because we are so busy and always put off making time to go to see a private optometrist. This was very convenient because I came and had my eyes tested quickly on my break,” she said smiling.

Dr Leonard Heydenrych, an ophthalmologist at the Unit said although eye disease is the most prevalent disease in the world and in South Africa, people have a misconception about it. “People think its a trivial disease but the numbers of people with eye related disease have doubled in recent years. Awareness and early detection is key and people and children need to be regularly screened at an eye clinic and more often if their family has a history of eye disease. These screenings are so important as they give us an opportunity to counselling and testing regarding various eye diseases that may otherwise go undetected.”

Budhoo thanked her organising team especially Dr Fazana Assamo and Sr Zohra Asmal of the Unit as well as sponsors for assisting to get the screenings and awareness material for the free initiative.