Rotary Club’s free eye-screening benefits 200 primary school children in Serian, Tebedu

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The school children wait for their turns to have their eyes checked.

SERIAN: Two hundred pupils from 60 primary schools across Serian and Tebedu districts underwent free eye screening during a programme run by the Rotary Club of Kuching at Tayung Langui Hall in Kampung Pichin on Friday.

The school children were also provided with free eyewear, based on the required prescriptions. The eye-screening was sponsored by OCBC Bank, while the lenses were sponsored by Essilor (M) Sdn Bhd.

Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin, who officiated at the event, said he had initiated for the programme to be held for Tebedu constituency, where he is the assemblyman, because he knew that many of the school-children in this constituency had never done eye-screening before.

In this respect, the minister advised the teachers, the parents and the children to have their eyes checked as regularly if possible to prevent problems caused by over-exposure to mobile gadgets.

“One of the examples is due to playing too many games on the computers and mobile phones, which could be the cause why there are many students who are short-sighted and long-sighted nowadays. Even at the early age of five years old, some children start to complain about having bad vision.

“I request, if possible, for the organisers to hold this programme again in Serian next year,” said Manyin.

The eye-screening programme was ahead of the Ninth Joint District 3300 and 3310 ‘Seeing Eye to Eye’ (SE2E) Conference 2019, which took place at the Chemsain Auditorium in Kuching yesterday.

It also included a broadcast of pre-recorded presentation by expert speakers from the conference for the audience in Kampung Pichin.

The SE2E conference is an annual event coordinated by the District Action Group for Blindness Prevention (DAGBP) of District 3300, and the Blindness Prevention Committee of District 3310.

The Rotary Club of Kuching itself is the oldest Rotary Club in Borneo, chartered in 1936.

Rotary District 3310 governor Lioh Cheng Lim, Rotary Club of Kuching president Larry Ong, OCBC Bank Kuching senior manager Jessie Lim, deputy Serian District Education officer Richard Banter and organising chairman Nicholas Hon were also present at the event.