By Zareef Muzammil
SHAH ALAM, Dec 7 — The state government initiative providing free eye health check-ups for students has been warmly welcomed as a more affordable alternative for parents, compared to getting the same service at private clinics.
Dr Norazlina Mohd Kiram, 47, welcomed the initiative introduced in the 2022 Selangor Budget (#Selangor2022) as her three children aged eight to 17 wear glasses.
“I do not deny frequent gadget usage resulted in my children wearing glasses. I would much rather avoid it, but we have no choice and they have to wear it for clearer vision.
“So, this initiative is both appropriate and good, it can help any parent with many children obtain glasses for them,” she said when met at the Shah Alam Convention Center here yesterday.
The Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication lecturer also suggested the implementation method should be further refined, so that no individual is left behind.
“Elected representatives need to announce this programme on social media by including the number of quotas provided, as well as identifying eligible individuals in advance,” she said.
For technician Mohd Khairul Anwar Ismail, 41, the initiative is timely and will be used as much as possible, since the last time his 14-year-old firstborn child underwent an eye examination was last year.
“Throughout the pandemic, my son studied online and dealt with computers. This has an impact on the eyes, as he’s been wearing glasses since Standard Six.
“With this initiative, I am confident less fortunate families will be able to save on living costs, particularly for those with many children. On my part I can even monitor my child’s eye health,” he said.
#Selangor2022, presented by Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari on November 26, allocated RM200,000 for children’s eye health screenings throughout the state.
The initiative came about following the Covid-19 pandemic phase, which forced children to undergo virtual studies and academic classes, which raised concerns of excessive exposure to smart devices for several hours at a time.
