Health-related news
The charitable association Give Life to Children has provided funding for eye examinations of several children, to properly diagnose possible eye defects
Oct 20, 2008 [Health-related news]
Parents of children from the whole Karlovy Vary region will be soon notified whether their child suffers from any eye condition. This is thanks to an innovative project of the city of Cheb.
„This preventative initiative is unique in its scale. During its implementation we will examine approximately 7000 children from 150 pre-schools in our region,“ said the director of the health and social care authority in the city of Cheb, which has organised and authorised this initiative, Mr Robert Plachy.
Currently we have finalised the preventative checks in all pre-schools in the Cheb district. So far, we have examined 2000 children. Based on our results so far, we can state that we have diagnosed cases of varying degrees of refractional (dioptric) defect in 5% of children.
„Our mobile medical equipment is able to diagnose both dioptric defects as well as pathologic curvature of the optical apparatus or anorthopia. If we diagnose any of these conditions in the children, they will be send to an eye specialised, who can immediately commence treatment,“ added Mr Plachý. The general rule is that the earlier the defect is treated, the more successful the cure is.
Some eye defects, for example lazy-eye blindness, can be only successfully treated by special exercises, before the child reaches their sixth to eighth birthday. „With regards to dioptric defects, the rule is that if the child does not start wearing appropriate glasses in time, the cooperation of eye structures and the brain is affected and this can lead to lazy-eye blindness. If children wear glasses, which correct this defect, they are able to participate in every day activities, which they found very difficult until now,“ stated Mr Plachý.
The main problem is that small children often do not complain about reduced vision, as they perceive their vision to be normal. This makes an early diagnosis of any eye defects even more important. „The advantage of the examinations we are currently doing is that by using a mobile medical device, the children are in an environment which is familiar to them. This method does not put the child under any strain, does not require application of any medication and the examination itself only lasts several seconds,“ explained Mr Plachý.
Despite the fact that health insurance companies do not provide any financial assistance to mobile eye examinations, it is delivered free of charge thanks to financial gifts from several donors. The include the charitable association Give Life to Children, which donated the mobile medical device, and also the Karlovy Vary Regional authority, Lions Club Karlovy Vary, Ingo Casino Inc., VZP ČR a HB Print, s.r.o.
Parents, whose children do not attend pre-schools, can directly arrange the eye examination on telephone number
354 430 229.