Focus point vision care group, Malaysia’s largest optical chain of professional eye care centres, launched an eye health awareness exhibition and carnival in conjunction with world sight day at LG oval concourse, 1 utama shopping mall.
The 11-day event, organised by Focus Point’s corporate social responsibility arm, The Caring Hearts Charity foundation, together with Carl Zeiss was held to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment.
Launched by Dato’ Nelson Kwok, the president of Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association (MRCA), the exhibition offers a myriad of activities for shoppers both young and old. Participants enjoyed free on-the-spot corneal health, intraocular pressure and retinal health checks, and counselling by Focus Point, Sunway Medical and the Carl Zeiss team. A dark room was also prepared to let participants experience what it is like to be in a world without eyes.
Gadget users were particularly interested in the performance of the ‘office lenses’ at the Carl Zeiss booth. The members of the public also benefited from talks by ophthalmologists and eye care specialists on serious eye disorders, such as glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy, as well as topics on suitable food for the eye to maintain the good vision.
“This is the 3rd year we are organising the World Sight Day campaign which is about enriching public knowledge on eye health and wellness in line with the global initiative of Vision 2020: The Right to Sight. We aim to raise awareness amongst consumers on the importance of regular eye checks and promote knowledge in early detection for myopia, as well as other visual impairing diseases,” said Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang, President of Focus Point Vision Care Group.
“As a public listed company and through our Caring Hearts Foundation, Focus Point is committed to support and promote a healthy lifestyle. Eye care is an important aspect to a healthy lifestyle, for the loss vision, is a major handicap,” he added.
The World Health Organisation ( WHO ) estimates that in every five seconds, one person in the world goes blind. A child goes blind every minute, and it is estimated that over seven million people become blind every year. Studies have also shown that the percentage of children suffering from myopia or shortsightedness is increasing at an alarming rate, especially for those living in urban areas across East Asia. In highly urbanised countries like Singapore and Taiwan, the number of 18-year-olds who are myopic has reached up to 85%.
“In Malaysia, as our society advances, education is encouraged at a younger age, therefore there is a rising concern in the increase of myopia in young children here. This is the very reason why we should support efforts in educating parents and people of all ages about the importance of caring for our eyes,” said Dato’ Nelson.
