Region Four Education Dep’t in eye screening

A number of students at schools within Region Four had their eyes tested recently as part of a blindness awareness month eye screening exercise.

A release from the Region Four Education Department yesterday said that blindness awareness month which is observed every May,  saw  eye screening only being done last Friday owing to a number of independence and other related activities.

Simone Abrams, Special Needs Officer within Region Four Department of Education revealed that the exercise saw some 110 students having their eyes tested by the Department in collaboration with the School Health Unit of the Ministry of Public Health.

She noted that the eye screening was conducted by Monay Ferreira of School Health and said that it forms part of the Department’s efforts in reducing blindness and eye-related challenges and difficulties that several students face.

Abrams said in the release that the students who require spectacles will be fitted with theirs within two weeks.

“We foresee them getting their spectacles shortly but what I can say is that it would not exceed two weeks as we want to ensure that they can continue their learning uninterrupted,” she said.

Several parents who accompanied their children to have their eyes tested commended the department for what they dubbed as the Region’s visionary leadership, the release said.