- Screening campaigns include visual acuity tests, eye pressure measurements to help detect glaucoma and retinal examinations using modern equipment that eliminates the need for dilating eye drops. Al-Foudari stressed the importance of regular eye check-ups, particularly for people over 40, noting that early detection of retinal diseases can reduce complications.
The Ministry of Health is planning to electronically link eye examination cameras at health centers with ophthalmologists to accelerate the delivery of test results and reduce referral and appointment waiting times, as part of efforts to strengthen early detection of eye diseases.
The project was announced during the inauguration of World Sight Day activities on Monday by Health Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadhi at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Foudari, head of the hospital’s Ophthalmology Department and chairman of the Ministry of Health’s Council of Ophthalmology Departments, said eye screening services were available across Kuwait’s governorates through primary healthcare centers and public hospitals.
Screening campaigns include visual acuity tests, eye pressure measurements to help detect glaucoma and retinal examinations using modern equipment that eliminates the need for dilating eye drops. Al-Foudari stressed the importance of regular eye check-ups, particularly for people over 40, noting that early detection of retinal diseases can reduce complications.
Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital Director Dr. Nada Al-Hassan said the hospital’s World Sight Day programme included eye, eye pressure and fundus examinations supervised by specialist medical teams. She added that the hospital would continue its awareness and screening activities throughout the week, including an early breast cancer detection event on Wednesday and a World Rheumatism Day event on Thursday.
The Ministry also plans to organise an awareness event in November focusing on keratoconus, a condition that affects the cornea, and available treatment options.