Govt sets up new commission on World Sight Day

Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Poor people suffering from eyesight complications and/or blindness are set to receive free medical care as the government has promised to raise funds for their operations.

The government inaugurated on Thursday the National Comission for Eyesight Complication and Blindness (Komnas GPK), which will act as a coordinator for all activities concerning blindness, including fundraising and a national education campaign.

Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi said Komnas GPK was necessary as the country's blindness rate stood at 1.5 percent (or 3.15 million people) of its total 210 million population -- far behind other countries with similar problems such as Bangladesh (1 percent), India (0.7 percent) and Thailand (0.3 percent).

"The prevalence rate has become a national issue as it exceeds the acceptable standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO). We need to take the problem seriously and that is why we need the Komnas GPK," said Sujudi.

According to WHO, a country with a prevalence rate for blindness of above 1 percent is considered a national problem.

Sujudi explained that the main reason for the blindness was caused by cataract (0.78 percent), with the rest caused by aging (0.38 percent), glaucoma (0.20 percent) and eye refractory errors (0.14 percent).

Data from the Ministry of Health show that each year, the incidence of blindness caused by cataract is estimated at 0.1 percent (around 210,000 people) per year.

Cataract is a clouding of part or all of the lens inside the eye, resulting in blurred or distorted vision.

"However, the country is able to perform cataract surgery for only 80,000 people a year, leaving the other 130,000 untreated, due to limited number of ophthalmologists and a lack of funds," Sujudi told the media on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Komnas GPK, done on World Sight Day, which falls on the second Thursday of October each year.

There are currently only 750 ophthalmologists in the country.

"Thus, the government plans to increase the number of ophthalmologists by 250 per year, from currently 50 per year," said Sujudi.

This, he said, was in line with WHO's Vision 2020: The Right To Sight -- a goal in which nearly full sight is achieved by the year 2020.

"The Komnas GPK will also hold a national campaign that will communicate to the public about efforts to eradicated blindness as well as raise funds for free cataract surgery for the poor," he said.

He added that Komnas GPK was also expected to provide the public with information on blindness in general and cataract in particular.

The Komnas GPK has 11 members, with Tjahjono D. Gondhowiardjo as chairman; Siti Zainar and Johan A. Hutauruk as secretaries; Setiowati Suharjono as treasurer; and Adnan Buyung Nasution, Darwan M. Purba, Guntur Bambang Hamurwono, Umar Wahid, Parni Hadi, Yan Darmadi and Agus Martowardojo as members.