Optometrist continues helping the needy through tougher SOPs

MELAKA: An optometrist is continuing his decade-old charitable work of giving free eyeglasses and check-ups for schoolchildren as well as elderly folk despite the tighter movement control order announced on Saturday (May 22).

Asia Optometric Congress president Datuk Murphy Chan Hian Kee is making arrangement for eye check-ups to be done as he said he can't just stop halfway after many parents from the lower-income group approached him for help over the past few months.

"Eye check-up sessions will continue on a one-by-one basis and the standard operating procedures will be observed," he said in an interview here on Saturday.

Chan said appointments for the check-ups can be made through telephone and deserving cases would be referred to any of his three outlets - the Eyecon Group Network here.

"In a nutshell, we will only attend to urgent cases but the initiative will be continued throughout MCO 3.0 with stricter health protocols," he said.

Chan was responding to concerned parents that the longtime "Gift of Vision" programme will be halted due to the tighter MCO 3.0 announced by Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Saturday to reduce Covid-19 infections.

The initiative of providing free spectacles started by Chan in 2010 has benefited thousands of students and senior citizens in the state.

Chan also debuted the first Myopia Management Center in Melaka at Mahkota Medical Centre here.

The centre was opened to address the high number of myopia condition among young Malaysians.

Chan added that myopia or short-sightedness is growing at an alarming rate among schoolchildren mainly due to increased screen time on digital devices.