Rotary's cataract screening mission in Ranau
Published on: Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: Come Jan 28 (Sunday), some 300 to 400 villagers are expected to converge on the Ranau Community Centre for the Cataract Screening Mission from 8.30am to 12.30pm.It will be conducted by the Rotary Club of Likas Bay (RCLB) under the Gift of Sight for Sabah Campaign funded by a Rotary Global Grant totalling US$85,464 from the Rotary Foundation which is the charitable arm of Rotary International.RCLB Public Relations Director Michael Tong said the main objective is to screen villagers over 50 years old for cataract and arrange for eye operation to restore their vision. "This is because cataract, which is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, affects mostly older adults aged above 50. Almost one in five people between the age of 65 and 74 will develop cataracts severe enough to reduce vision and almost one in two people older than 75 have this condition," he said.
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Tong credited the successful Global Grant application for the Gift of Sight Sabah project to the initiative undertaken by Philip Chong, a past Rotary International District 3310 Governor from RCLB.As a prelude to the project, a delegation from the Club called on Karanaan Assemblyman Datuk Masidi Manjun who is also Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, and Kundasang Assemblyman Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam who is also Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing, to enlighten them on the project and to seek their assistance in spreading the news to the villagers."As Rotary's Gift of Sight for Sabah, we want as many rural folk as possible to take advantage of this free eye screening exercise for their own good. Those with cataract may lose their vision if left untreated," said Tong.Masidi and Dr Joachim remarked that the Gift of Sight Sabah is a commendable project while saluting Rotary Clubs in the State for their meritorious service in making a difference in the lives of those who need surgery for cataracts.
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"Rotarians are in essence complementing the Health Ministry's Klinik Katarak 1 Malaysia (KKIM) which is a special programme to detect patients with cataract and expedite surgical treatment," the duo said, noting that this programme has also been implemented in Sabah where the Queen Elizabeth Hospital's (QEH) Department of Ophthalmology conducts periodic surgical carnivals to operate on cataract patients in larger numbers.It was widely reported in the media that Sabah has the highest incidence of cataracts in Malaysia which is three times the nation's average.
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Based on the findings of the 2014 National Eye Survey II, it is estimated that 0.5pc of the population in Malaysia suffers from blindness in both eyes due to cataracts. It found the incidence to be much higher in Sabah – 1.1pc.The QEH Department of Ophthalmology has been Rotary Clubs' partner in service for the past one decade. Under the KK1M programme, QEH has also trained volunteers identified by Rotary Clubs to undergo training as Cataract Finders. Their task is go to smaller towns and rural areas to examine and identify patients suffering from cataract for further treatment. This collaborative programme has already been implemented in Penampang and Papar, and is currently being undertaken in Beaufort.Briefing Masidi and Dr Joachim on The Rotary Foundation, Rotarian Chong said the Rotary Clubs of Kota Kinabalu, Likas Bay and Tawau have been organising eye camps for the past 10 years. He said this year, the trio together with the Rotary Clubs of Tanjung Aru, Labuan and Sandakan North, have jointly applied for a Global Grant from the Rotary Foundation to assist cataract patients from poorer sections of our population to undergo surgery. The Rotary Foundation supports many social and development projects throughout the world through its well-known Global Grants."Six Areas of Focus are identified by the Rotary Foundation as key targets for these Grants, one of which is Disease Prevention and Treatment. The Grant process involves contributions from the Rotary Clubs in the recipient countries and their international partner Clubs and also matching contributions from The Rotary Foundation," Chong shared.He reported that Rotarians from the six Clubs have jointly contributed US$17,000 and together with international contributions of US$13,000 from Rotary Districts 3520 and 3500 in Taiwan and generous corporate contributions amounting to US$23,000 from HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd, they have collectively and successfully applied and received a Rotary Global Grant of US$85,464 for this Gift of Sight Sabah project," he added. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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