Eye Experts have asked the government to allocate more eye health centers in rural areas in a movement of preventing the spread of eye infections.
Mercy Ndinyo, an Optometrist at Lapaire Glasses Clinic in Kamwokya says some people in villages get infected with eye diseases but run to traditional doctors for treatment due to lack of eye health facilities.
A 2019 report by the ministry of health on eye blindness indicates that 90 percent of eye blindness cases are in developing countries of which Uganda is among.
Ndinyo adds that this is so dangerous because it worsens the state of the eyes. She urges government to consider providing more health centers in villages.
Eye Specialists also singled out eye self-medication as one of the major causes of blindness to people in Uganda.
Ndinyo explains that when people get eye problems they opt to self medicate mostly with eye drops from pharmacies and use them without even going for check-up.
However, Ndinyo advises people to always go for eye check-ups even when they don’t have any eye problem so that they are given guidelines by an eye expert on how they can protect their eyes from getting infections.
Courtesy photo.
