PolyU’s School of Optometry joined forces with the Kwai Tsing Safe Community and Healthy City Association to support 12,914 elderly people at the age 50 or above to have an eye examination. The service has been conducted since 2015. They found that about 80% of the elderly examined suffered from various degrees of cataracts.

They also suggested that eye examinations are effective in discovering eye diseases in the elderly at an early stage, and pointed out that eye examinations and therapy are seldom covered by the government’s primary care services, and the median waiting time for cataract surgery is as long as 22 months.

Professor George Woo, PolyU’s Emeritus Professor of Optometry and Senior Advisor of the School of Optometry, said many professionals such as nurses and optometrists could share the burdens of doctors and perform preliminary diagnosis. He suggested the government should work with the private sector to triage eye patients so as to reduce their waiting time.

To learn more about the project, please have a look at the following media reports:

Oriental Daily News
Ming Pao Daily News
Sing Tao Daily
Headline Daily