Hong Kong should offer subsidised eye screenings in all districts to pre-empt ailments and prioritise elderly: experts
- Experts call for publicly funded eye screenings at city’s 18 district health centres to monitor for conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration
- ‘An ageing population means that there could be more problems associated with these diseases,’ HKU eye expert warns
Hong Kong should provide primary eye care services at a district level to pre-empt an expected rise in related conditions brought about by the city’s ageing population, experts have said.
“Many eye diseases are age-related, such as glaucoma, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration,” said Professor Christopher Leung Kai-shun, chairman and clinical professor of the department of ophthalmology at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).
“An ageing population means that there could be more problems associated with these diseases.”
Official figures show the number of residents aged 65 and above is expected to rise in the coming decades, reaching 2.74 million in 2046 from the 1.45 million recorded three years ago.
HKU and non-profit organisation Orbis published a study last month warning of “alarmingly high” rates of glaucoma, a common eye condition that can lead to blindness, among residents.
Authorities in recent years have promoted primary healthcare at a community level to prevent or detect diseases early.
But experts called for the city’s 18 district health centres established under the policy to provide publicly funded eye screenings, an option which is not widely available at present.