Health Minister Launches World Sight Day at Jabir Hospital

Al-Fudairi: Modern devices for retinal and fundus examination, and a project for electronic integration of examination cameras in health centers

Minister of Health Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi launched, on Monday, World Sight Day at Jabir Al-Ahmad Hospital, with the aim of raising public awareness about the importance of prevention through early screening.

In this context, Hospital Director Dr. Nada Al-Hasan told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the hospital is keen to keep pace with and organize screening programs for early detection of 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 clarified that, on the occasion of World Sight Day, the hospital organized this comprehensive awareness and specialized event, which included vision, eye pressure, and fundus examinations, supervised by specialized medical staff from the Ophthalmology Department under the leadership of Dr. Ahmed Al-Fudairi, aiming to highlight eye health and the importance of early monitoring of vision problems.

She noted that the hospital is hosting a schedule full of awareness and educational activities during the current week, including an early detection event for breast cancer on Wednesday, alongside an event for World Rheumatism Day on Thursday, as well as other activities focusing on psoriasis.

Dr. Al-Hasan emphasized that the role of the health system is not limited to providing treatment within clinics only, but is based on preventive initiatives and encouraging periodic examinations to prevent the progression of diseases.

For his part, Dr. Ahmed Al-Fudairi, Head of the Ophthalmology Department at the hospital and Chairman of the Ophthalmology Departments Council at the Ministry of Health, affirmed the Ministry of Health’s commitment to enhancing integrated healthcare and social responsibility by organizing campaigns for the early detection of the most common eye diseases in the country.

He explained that treatment services are now available and distributed across various governorates of Kuwait through most primary healthcare centers and general hospitals, noting that these campaigns aim to detect vision problems early through advanced examinations, including measuring visual acuity and checking eye pressure to monitor glaucoma, which does not present obvious symptoms in its early stages.

Al-Fudairi highlighted the importance of regular examinations, especially for those over the age of 40, and stated that the Ministry has provided modern devices for retinal imaging and fundus examination without the need for dilating drops, which used to cause discomfort to patients. He clarified that early detection of retinopathy limits its complications.

He revealed a project to electronically link examination cameras in health centers to speed up the delivery of results to ophthalmologists and shorten referral and appointment wait times, announcing an upcoming awareness event in November focusing on keratoconus and its treatment methods.