THE Davao City Health Office (CHO) is ramping up its blindness prevention and care programs for Sight Saving Month.
Chona Dazon, program manager at CHO’s technical service unit, explained in a radio interview on Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) that their Prevention of Blindness Program educates the community on proper eye care. This includes Visual Acuity Screening for kindergarteners to detect conditions like amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” which can impact a child’s learning.
Early detection helps address vision issues that might affect academic performance.
“Kasagaran man gyud sa mga mama abi nila mga dili bright ilang anak dili kakita (Most mothers think their children aren’t smart, but the real issue might be poor vision),” she said.
The program also offers free eye check-ups and glasses at local health centers.
CHO encourages the public to consult eye specialists if they experience vision problems.
Dazon advised that those with poor eyesight should see an optometrist for a prescription or an ophthalmologist for infections.
Regular eye exams are particularly important for the elderly who are prone to cataracts.
To maintain good eyesight, Dazon recommends daily exercise, avoiding smoking, eating a balanced diet, and protecting eyes from UV rays with glasses.
She also said it’s important to rest eyes after using mobile phones, laptops, and other gadgets. RGP
