MALASIQUI, Pangasinan: The Department of Health (DOH) in Ilocos Region (Region 1) is offering free retinopathy screening to the residents in the region in partnership with the Ophthalmology Department of Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC).
In a statement issued on Monday, DOH-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD)-1 Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco called on all diabetic patients in the region to avail of the free mobile eye screening.
“We will be visiting more communities this year and seeking outpatients, especially those living in GIDAs (geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas). Those who have diabetes (especially) should be checked and be given appropriate medicine and operation for their eyes so their disease would not lead to blindness,” she said.
She added that the service is free to the patients.
The next mobile eye screening will be conducted in the town of Caba, La Union on March 9-10 this year.
The most recent was held in Luna town, La Union with a total of 136 diabetic patients from Feb. 16-17 this year.
Francisco de Vera Jr., Regional Program Manager of Essential Non-Communicable Disease, said they will be targeting and accommodating more patients including those with eye problems but who are not diabetic.
“Marami rin kasi sa ating mga senior citizen na nanlalabo na ang mga mata due to old age at kailangang dumaan ng eye screening upang mabigyan ng mga eyeglasses na me tamang grado para magamit nila sa pang araw-araw nilang Gawain (A lot of our senior citizens have eye problems due to old age and they need eye screening for given the eyeglasses with the right grade that they could use daily,” he said.
The schedule of the eye screening in the other parts of the region will be announced by the DOH-CHD-1 on their Facebook page.
Source: Philippines News Agency
