ST Nicholas’ Home Penang is hoping to draw between 500 and 1,000 participants when it celebrates World Sight Day 2025 at the Caring Society Complex (Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang) on Jalan Utama in George Town on Oct 18.
General manager Carmen Chew said the event, organised in collaboration with the state Social Welfare Department (JKM Penang) and the Ophthalmology Department of Penang Hospital, will run from 10am to 6pm.
“Our goal is to raise awareness of the importance of good eye health and to help prevent avoidable blindness, such as glaucoma and cataract. Free eye screening and basic health screening will be provided on the day,” she said.
Those requiring follow-up treatment will be referred to Penang Hospital.
“The services at Penang Hospital are improving, but patients may sometimes face long waits for cataract surgery. If the waiting list is too long, St Nicholas’ Home has a collaboration with Penang Adventist Hospital to provide 100 free cataract operations. We still have available slots, and patients in need can register directly with the hospital. Our aim is to help more and more elderly people,” Chew explained.
The programme will also feature an eye care talk, a dietitian talk, a children’s drawing and colouring contest, a colouring workshop, and fun games. Entries for the colouring contest close on Oct 11. For more information, visit the home’s website.
On a personal note, Chew shared that her own eye health has improved since adopting the 20-20-20 rule, a simple practice to reduce eye strain after long hours in front of screens.
“Nowadays, many of us are glued to our handphones and other electronic devices. This may be one of the reasons why more young children are wearing spectacles. The 20-20-20 rule suggests that every 20 minutes, you take a 20-second break and look at something about 20 feet (6 metres) away. This helps the eyes relax and prevents fatigue, dryness and discomfort,” she explained.
Chew encouraged both the young and old to join the event, which will also include a workshop on how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
In the past two years, St Nicholas’ Home held its World Sight Day celebrations at shopping malls, which also drew encouraging crowds.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Alissala Thian and courtesy of St Nicholas’ Home Penang