NOTICE | The Malaysian Society of Ophthalmology (MSO) recently organised a press conference and the mock cheque presentation ceremony to commemorate the occasion of World Sight Day 2022.
Celebrated annually on the second Thursday of October (which falls upon Oct 13 this year), World Sight Day (WSD) is an international day of awareness, focusing the world’s attention on the importance of eye care. This year’s theme, “Love Your Eyes” encourages individuals to prioritise their own eye health whilst advocating for accessible, affordable and available eye care worldwide.
During the particular event, MSO president Dr Manoharan Shunmugam gave a brief background history of the formation of the society. Initially established as a society within the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) as the MMA Ophthalmological Community, MSO gained independent status in April 2008.
The particular society (www.mso.org.my) continues in order to carry the flag for the profession of ophthalmology in Malaysia by actively promoting continuous medical education, encouraging Continuous Professional Development, and by facilitating the professional exchange associated with information among its members.
Another aim of the society is to improve vision and visual health in the community by conducting educational, charitable plus other projects. The community has engaged with and become a member of various initiatives and groups to achieve these aims.
For World View Day 2022, MSO prepared a joint statement with the Malaysian Health Coalition (www.myhealthcoalition.org) in order to call attention to a few key points in order to integrate vision care into holistic public health.
The four key points are:
1. Implement routine annual eye screening among at-risk populations. The increasing incidence of myopia or short-sightedness amongst our children is a cause for concern, because there are long-term complications associated with myopia which can severely impact their vision and quality of life within adulthood. We call with regard to compulsory yearly eye screening to be carried out for all school-age children. Similarly, individuals aged 40 years and above should also receive annual attention screening, particularly those afflicted with diabetes and hypertension.
2. Eliminate dubious plus misleading advertisements for eyesight products. The proliferation of social media advertisements marketing dubious products that are usually not based on scientific evidence has led in order to many users being cheated of their money. Worse, some of these types of patients have stopped their own conventional medicines without consulting their eyes doctors, leading to the worsening of the existing ocular conditions, and even blindness. All of us urge the particular authorities to take firm action against these perpetrators, while we continue to educate the public on the dangers associated with these dubious health items.
3. Practise strict adherence to workplace eye safety. Serious and blinding ocular injuries at the workplace are often entirely preventable by the particular wearing of personal protective equipment. We all urge the relevant authorities to enforce safer working environments for all workers. Office workers facing long hours in front of computer screens or even their gadgets are encouraged to practise the “20-20-20” rule (looking away from the devices after 20 minutes of use in order to look at an object in least 20 feet away for twenty seconds) to prevent digital eye strain.
4. Strictly regulate and enforce consumer fireworks. Increased ocular injuries due to fireworks are common especially during festive seasons, both locally and internationally. While you will find already legislations made to declare these types of fireworks illegal, we call on stricter law enforcement to reduce accidents and deaths caused by fireworks.
After the president’s opening address, we had associate professor Doctor Tengku Ain Fathlun Tengku Kamalden on behalf associated with the Asia-Pacific Ophthalmic Trauma Society (APOTS), echoing the particular sentiments of the MSO president around the issue of creating greater consciousness to promote the prevention of ocular injuries.
She shared that APOTS together with the Department associated with Ophthalmology, Universiti Malaya, had lately co-organised the particular 11th Conjoint Ophthalmology Scientific Conference (COSC) –APOTS Ophthalmic Trauma Meeting 2022 in order to achieve the purpose of promoting prevention plus better management of vision injuries inside our region.
Next up, we had the honorary general secretary from the MAA, Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo, who gave the brief but succinct speech on MMA’s support regarding initiatives by MSO and other medical societies that are beneficial towards improving the particular health of the Malaysians.
The highlight of the event was handing over a donation of RM10, 000 to the Pan Disability Football Club Malaysia, which is coaching the Malaysian National Blind Soccer Team. Sunny Shalesh is currently coaching the team for the particular 9th International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA)/Asia Blind Football Championship 2022 scheduled in order to be held in Kerala, India from Nov 9–21, 2022. This particular tournament also serves since a qualifier event intended for the Globe Blind Football Championship in Birmingham within 2023 – the Planet Cup associated with Blind Soccer.
Sunny then gave a speech thanking MSO to get the contribution, which will help fund their participation in the championship. He also highlighted the fact that despite the group being recognised as the particular national blind football team and winning medals from the past two Asean Para Games, funding was hard to come simply by.
One of the ways they have tried to raise funds was the making of a film entitled, “Eye On The particular Ball”, chronicling the trials and tribulations of the particular team as they strived for sporting glory.
Unfortunately, the release from the film was scuttled due to the nationwide lockdown in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sunlit added that will while the team might seem to be aiming for wearing achievements, the particular actual goal was to help rehabilitate these special youth to come to terms with their particular visual disability.
The players experienced led seemingly normal lives just like any sighted individuals, until these people started losing their sight, either due to disease or injury. The “beautiful game” is now helping them to get back on their feet, increasing their purpose and confidence.
At the end of the ceremony, Dr Teh Wee Min (honorary secretary associated with MSO plus emcee of the day) reminded everyone to take part in the TikTok video competition organised by the MSO in conjunction with WSD 2022 (visit www.mso.org.my for more details).
A series of posters may also end up being released via our social media platform (MSO Facebook).
The occasion was attended by Doctor Hajjah Fariza Ngah (head of Ophthalmology Services, Health Ministry), associate professor Dr Norshamsiah Md Din (on behalf associated with the chairperson of the particular Malaysian Universities Conjoint Committee of Ophthalmology), three team users from the national blind football team and their spouses, MSO committee members, plus members of the press.
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