PNG needs eye care centres, says officer

PAPUA New Guinea lacks adequate eye care centres and awareness which has led to an increase in vision problems, especially among children, a senior medical officer says.
Medical Faculty senior ophthalmology lecturer Geoffrey Wabulembo said reports gathered from Port Moresby General Hospital and Goroka Based Hospital show that 93 per cent of eye injuries were from lime.
Wabulembo said eye care for children was not effective compared to treatment for other sickness.
“We interviewed service providers and gathered information from the hospital records and this has showed that there are no eye care clinics and health centres in many places which has caused an increase in sight problems with children,” he said.
He said when they interviewed some mother in whether they had taken their children for treatment of eye problems, most said they did not know of an eye clinic and were unaware of eye care issues.