Students receive free eye tests

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By SHARLYNE ERI
STUDENTS of Ted Diro Primary School in Port Moresby received free eye tests from the PNG Eye Care yesterday.
It was a lead up to the World Sight Day which falls on the second Thursday of October every year.
It is part of PNG Eye Care’s school screening programme funded by the United States embassy.
The programme began on March 16 with more than 2400 students in the National Capital District being screened so far.
PNG Eye Care general manager Drew Keys said it was one of the first school screening programmes.
“It is quite an important project because we have found that (around) 3 per cent of children need glasses because they are not seeing as well as they should,” Keys said.
“But I think, the really big message from this project is that glasses are good for children. They should not be scared of wearing glasses because they are really important in  educational outcomes.”
PNG Eye Care senior manager Samuel Peter Koim said the screening was going to be an ongoing process.
He said the long-term goal was to make the programme compulsory in all schools.
Of the 180 students screened at Ted Diro, five were referred to the Port Moresby General Hospital.