Health Ministry to discuss suggestion on including eye health in primary health care

Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad

KUALA SELANGOR,  Sept  7 -- The Health Ministry welcomes the suggestion for eye health to be included as a component of the country’s primary health care and will discuss the matter at its post-cabinet meeting.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said with the Optical Act 1991 to be repealed and replaced by a new law, optometry will be enhanced in terms of professionalism and governance.

He told this to reporters after opening the Kuala Selangor-level National Eye Health Awareness (NEHA) campaign here today.

President of the Association of Malaysian Optometrists (AMO), Woon Pak Seong, made the suggestion in his welcoming speech at the event.

He said this would enable the people to go for a complete eye examination and help in making early detection of eye diseases.

Eighty per cent of partial blindness or vision loss can be prevented or treated through early detection, he added.

On another matter, Dzulkefly said the ministry was engaging with stakeholders, including private hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies, to find a suitable mechanism to streamline the price of medicines.

“We have come up with several mechanisms for the purpose, but the Health Ministry does not want to rush into deciding this as it is a new policy. We need to be careful so as not to create any problems later on,” he added.

Under the NEHA programme, AMP is providing free eye checks to visitors and allocating 3,000 spectacles to give away to those who need to wear glasses.

-- BERNAMA