Do you think that because cataracts aren’t life threatening, they don’t have to be taken seriously? Well think again.
A survey conducted by the Malaysian National Eye Survey (NES) in 2014 found that 216,000 Malaysians became blind because of delays in cataract surgery. The condition also caused visual impairment in 272,000 others.
Clearly, while it is not a fatal condition, cataracts can severely damage quality of life, especially when one delays treatment to the point of blindness.
Most cases of cataracts are treatable
“The survey found 63,000 Malaysians aged 50 years and above who were blind with 60 per cent of them treatable, while 350,000 of people at in same age group had low vision with 80 per cent of them treatable,” said Selayang Hospital ophthalmologist Dr Mohamad Aziz Salowi at a press conference in conjunction with World Sight Day 2016 at the Ophthalmology Department, Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL).
He goes on to say that the high number of cataract cases can be linked to people not taking heed of the necessity to have cataract surgery.
Diabetic eye disease was found to be the second most common cause of blindness in Malaysia, making up 10 per cent of cases and six percent for low vision while glaucoma was the third leading cause.
Dr Mohamad Aziz is the programme coordinator of Klinik Katarak 1Malaysia (KK1M), a government initiative to provide cataract surgery services to people in remote areas.
Quotes from Astro Awani and New Straits Times.