Nearly 100 per cent of all eye trauma that leads to blindness in Malaysia is preventable.
That is something the Malaysian Society of Ophthalmology (MSO) hopes to educate the public on ahead of World Sight Day on Oct 13.
Among the leading reasons that caused blindness is not wearing protective gear while doing dangerous work such as welding and playing with fireworks.
“Although glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and refractive error in children can lead to visual impairment, we need to look at preventing blindness,” said MSO president, Dr Manoharan Shunmugam during a press conference in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
“Fireworks are one of the leading causes. They have been banned in this country since before Merdeka and are only allowed for sale during special occasions, yet they are sold all year round.
“These fireworks, including the homemade ones, can easily injure the eye. There have been thousands of cases where the victims go blind.
“Similarly, employers must provide adequate safety gear for their workers.”
He added parents should also send their children for regular check-ups, especially as they studied at home via laptops, desktops, phones, and tablets for most of the last two years.
“Spending too much time in front of electronic gadgets is not good for the eyes,” he said.
MSO is also determined to educate the public about social media advertisements that promise ‘miracle’ cures.
These advertisements also misuse official MSO images and images of prominent Malaysian politicians, such as Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, as if they endorse the products.
“We have filed police reports and complained to Facebook and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission about these misleading advertisements, but to no avail,” lamented Dr Manoharan.
“Unfortunately, nothing much has been done. Even if a website or Facebook page is shut down, another will pop up.
“These advertisements are widely shared via WhatsApp as well. Some pay up to RM500 for ‘special herbs’ that are nothing more than ordinary tea leaves.”
The theme for the upcoming World Sight Day is ‘Love your eyes’.
“We have a TikTok competition and have created some posters to educate Malaysians on how to care for their eyes,” said Dr Manoharan.
In conjunction with World Sight Day, MSO, Malaysian Medical Association, and the Malaysian Health Coalition call for proactive efforts toward preserving the public’s vision and health.
They have listed four key points:
- Implement routine annual eye screening among the at-risk population.
- Eliminate dubious and misleading advertisements for eye products.
- Practice strict adherence to workplace eye safety.
- Strictly regulate and enforce consumer fireworks.
Separately, MSO donated RM10,000 to the Pan-Disability Football Club, as its instructor Sunny Shalesh, is coaching the national team. The donation came as Malaysia celebrated National Sports Day yesterday.
Sunny is preparing the team for the Asian Championships in Kerala, India on Nov 9-21.
The championship is also a qualifier for next year’s World Cup in Birmingham, England.
“Our target is to finish among the top four teams in Kerala to book our ticket to the World Cup,” said Sunny.
“We are grateful to have friends such as MSO to help us on our journey.
“We received some funding from the government, which we used to purchase the flight tickets. We still need to get boots, tracksuits, and attire,” he added.
