September 28, 2024
By Delicia Janniere
The government’s eye screening and spectacle voucher initiative, designed to provide vital eye health services to targeted groups, has recorded low participation despite its widespread availability.
This was highlighted by Vice President and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, during a recent press conference.
The initiative aims to benefit approximately 274,000 individuals, including around 200,000 students from both public and private schools and 74,000 pensioners.
However, only about 23,000 eye tests have been conducted, and 18,753 vouchers for spectacles have been utilized so far. Dr. Jagdeo noted that these numbers fall short of the government’s expectations.
The programme provides a $2,000 voucher for eye screening and a $15,000 voucher for spectacles if needed.
It targets individuals aged 18 and under, as well as those 65 and older.
The Vice President emphasized that even those who already wear spectacles should consider retesting their vision, as there are no restrictions on returning for additional services.
In the national budget, $840 million was allocated for eye tests, while $995 million was set aside to subsidize the cost of spectacles.
Despite these efforts, the government remains hopeful that more citizens will take advantage of this essential health service to improve their eye health.