2,350 Seniors to Get Free Eye Surgery

By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

A total of 2,350 senior citizens with failing eyesight will get state subsidies for surgery.

The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs has checked the optical health of 73,476 people over 60 years old and found 69,287 of them suffered from one or more eye conditions.

The majority of problems were age-related and included cataracts, disorders of the retina, conjunctiva and sclera, and glaucoma.

According to the World Health Organization, these conditions top the list of problems that may claim people's eyesight.

Korean Health authorities attribute these to hypertension and diabetes and excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays.

The government said that older Koreans don't take precautionary measures, which causes their condition to worsen.

In the U.S., Australia, Japan, 6,500, 8,000 and 6,830 per 100,000, respectively, have cataract surgery, but the number is below 3,000 in Korea.

The majority of the cost of surgery is covered by the national health insurance and the ministry will support the rest: 240,000 won for cataracts, and 1 million won for retinal disorders.

"Blindness or impaired eyesight can lead to life-threatening situations such as traffic accidents and falls," ministry official Hah Jin said.

Hah also issued guidelines on how to improve eye health.

These suggest that people take regular five-minute rests when using computers or watching television.

The guidelines say that it is pivotal to avoid ultraviolet rays and for people to refrain from going outdoors between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. If people do have to go outdoors, they should wear eyeshades, sunglasses or caps.

Hah said that it was important not to rub the eyes.

Patients with diabetes or hypertension should get regular checkups every year, he added.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr

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