|
|
|
Wong (seated third left) with the organizing committee.
|
19th November, 2008
KOTA KINABALU: The Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu is organizing a conference on ‘Avoidable Blindness’ at the Mini Theatre of Sabah Trade Centre, Likas this Saturday, November 22.
The conference will feature topics on numerous eye diseases by leading eye specialists from government and private hospitals in Kota Kinabalu.
Organising committee chairman Wong Kee Yu said in Malaysia, cataract is the leading cause of blindness (39 percent) followed by retinal diseases (24 percent).
“About 10 percent of the population is diabetic – diabetes is a major cause of eye disease. The other 90 percent is not immune to visual loss. Many of us suffer from cataract to cornea to age-related diseases. 80 percent of the causes of blindness can be avoided through awareness, early detection and treatment,”said Wong.
Wong said the discussion hopes to raise awareness of the importance of healthy vision, proper eyecare and eye diseases in children. It will also discuss the laser-assisted LASIK surgery, a technology that helps to correct short sightedness and do away with spectacles.
The conference starts at 10am to 4pm and will be followed by question and answer session at the end of each topic.
Registration starts at 8am. The first 100 people to register are eligible for free eye examination.
The event is organised by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu.
|
