Eye screening programme for children
By Achong Tanjong

From a total of 13,000 school children in Labuan FT, 3,320 students were detected to have sight problems ranging from minor to very serious cases after having their eyes screened.

Rotary Club of Bandar Seri Begawan and Rotary Club of Labuan conducted a Joint Centennial Project on the Eye Screening Programme at 17 primary and nine secondary schools in Labuan recently.

The project was to provide financial aid in providing eye wear and treatments to children who come from poor families, said Centennial President of the Rotary Club of Labuan FT, Linda Wong, in her report.

To date, 220 students have benefited from the programme and have claimed their spectacles funded by the project and many more are expected to benefit in the following months.

She said most of the children with minor sight problems were caused by poor nutrition. There were also students who had serious sight problems whom were not aware of it and had never told their parents about it.

Some of the students who had been wearing prescribed spectacles had never had their eyes rechecked and therefore they have been wearing spectacles that do not support their current sight problems.

She said, the project was a joint effort by Rotary Club of BSB (funding and manpower), District 3310 (funding) and with the assistance of Rotary Foundation (matching grant). The Rotary District 3310 committee of Avoidable Blindness provides guidance and encouragement.

The success of the project was made possible through the cooperation by the Labuan Education Department, The Labuan Health Department, Donors from Labuan, Labuan Optics & Contact Lens Centre, Pusat Optik Tai Wah, Yang Low Ophthalmic Opticians, Bumi Optik as well as all volunteers and all Rotarians and families.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin