Ophthalmologists to conduct symposium
Ophthalmologists to conduct symposium
JAKARTA (JP): About 250 eye specialists from all over Indonesia are due to assemble here tomorrow for a two-day symposium on eye micro-surgery.
Three experts from Australia and the United States will address the event, focusing on sophisticated techniques for dealing with complications in cataract surgery.
Ian J. Constable and John Elder, both from Australia, and Richard G. Livernois from the U.S. will also give a "hands-on" course on cataract surgery using a technique called "phaco- emulsification" on Sunday.
The symposium and course are part of a series of events to be held by the Jakarta Eye Center hospital this month in conjunction with its eleventh anniversary.
Cataracts, or the cloudiness of the eye lens, is the main cause of the blindness suffered by 2.4 percent of the Indonesian population of 192 million, according to Sjakon Tahija of the center.
Eye Center Director Darwan M. Purba told a press conference on Tuesday that the hospital would also provide free treatment for 50 cataract sufferers on March 25. The patients will be chosen from among low-income patients in Jakarta's health clinics (Puskesmas).
The cost of cataract surgery in private hospitals ranges from Rp 1.4 million to Rp 4 million.
The center will also hold a public lecture on cosmetic eye surgery, presenting as speakers doctors Darmayanti, Hadisudjono Sastrosatomo, Retno Trenggono and popular model Dhanny Dahlan Purba.
A 1989 survey by the Ministry of Health showed that around 50 percent of Indonesia's population suffered from eye problems at that time.
Cataracts are highly prevalent in Indonesia, especially among poor people. Purba said people who are exposed to high doses of ultra-violet rays, like farmers working long hours under the sun, are especially vulnerable to the condition.
Facilities for sufferers are far from adequate, however, and only about 10 percent of the total number of cataract sufferers have access to medical treatment.
"Some 1.3 million people suffering from the condition are out of reach of the existing health system," Purba said. (swe)