By Asmahanim Amir
Pictures by Shahiddan Saidi

UKM’s Faculty of Health Sciences (FSK-UKM) will conduct vision screening to 160,000 people who have an intellectual disability and has been registered with the Department of Social Welfare (JKM) under the Optometry and Vision Sciences Programme.

Dean of FSK, Prof. Dr. Bariah Mohd Ali said the screening will be made periodically involving the staff and students from the faculty.

“We will increase the number (people’s screening) gradually and will start at Selangor. The vision inspection is not only for kids but also involving adults” she said after a signing Memorandum of Understanding between UKM and Special Olympics Malaysia (SOM).

“If they register with JKM, we can make screening for them, even though they are not registered with SOM,” she added.

Commenting about the MoU signed with SOM, Prof. Dr. Bariah said faculty will assist SOM in terms of eye exams for all athletes who have intellectual problems.

“We will give a suitable intervention to them so that they can get a better quality of life. The plans that we make is not just for eye screening, but we will involve other health sectors such as hearing and speech. That’s what has been discussed with SOM,” she explained.

The programme is more to provide services and UKM will involve the students to give them experiences.

“They (students) can learn how to handle the problem of patients with intellectual disability. From FSK, we want the experience so that our students are more vulnerable to the practice,” she said.

Through the MoU, the collaboration is being developed by providing eye expert services twice a year for Opening Eye Programme organised by SOM.

Student of Optometry and Vision Sciences Programme will be exhibited with the service eye module according to SOM’s criterion and conduct joint research activities.