Minister of Health Launches World Sight Day at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital
Kuwait’s Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi, launched today, Monday, World Sight Day at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital, aiming to raise public awareness about the importance of prevention through early screening.
Speaking to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the occasion, Hospital Director Dr. Nada Al-Hasan emphasized the hospital’s commitment to keeping pace with and organizing screening programs and early detection initiatives for the most common diseases among citizens, based on the principle that prevention is better than cure, and to alleviate the treatment burden and health complications.
Dr. Al-Hasan explained that, in observance of World Sight Day, the hospital organized this comprehensive awareness and specialized event, which included eye vision, intraocular pressure, and fundus examinations supervised by specialized medical staff from the Ophthalmology Department under the leadership of Dr. Ahmed Al-Fudairy. The initiative aimed to highlight eye health and the importance of early detection of vision problems.
She noted that the hospital has scheduled a rich calendar of awareness and educational activities for the current week, including an early detection event for breast cancer on Wednesday, an event for World Rheumatism Day on Thursday, as well as other activities focused on psoriasis.
Dr. Al-Hasan stressed that the role of the health system extends beyond providing treatment in clinics; it is rooted in preventive initiatives and encouraging regular screenings to prevent disease progression.
For his part, Dr. Ahmed Al-Fudairy, Head of the Ophthalmology Medicine and Surgery Department at the hospital and Chairman of the Ophthalmology Departments at the Ministry of Health, told KUNA that the Ministry of Health is committed to enhancing integrated healthcare and social responsibility by organizing campaigns for the early detection of the most common eye diseases in the country.
He clarified that treatment services are now available and distributed across various governorates of Kuwait through most primary healthcare centers and general hospitals. These campaigns aim to detect vision problems early through advanced examinations, including visual acuity testing and intraocular pressure measurement to detect glaucoma, which often presents no obvious symptoms in its early stages.
Dr. Al-Fudairy highlighted the importance of regular check-ups, especially for individuals over the age of 40. He noted that the Ministry has provided modern devices for retinal imaging and fundus examination without the need for dilating drops, which previously caused discomfort to patients. He added that early detection of retinopathy helps limit its complications.
He also revealed a project to electronically link examination cameras in health centers to expedite the delivery of results to ophthalmologists and reduce referral and appointment wait times. Furthermore, he announced an upcoming awareness event in November focusing on keratoconus and its treatment methods.
