Eye test training

Seated, from left: Prof Jenny, Toh Puan, Tun Ling, FMHS Dean Emeritus Prof Dr Cheong Soon Keng, FMHS Clinical Assistant Professor Dr Lim Kean Meng, and Fook with the student helpers

UTAR’s Department of Soft Skills Competency (DSSC) and Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) are collaborating with The Malaysian Association of Practising Opticians (MAPO) to introduce a project that aims to help children from needy family to receive free eye test and spectacles. This project was the brainchild of UTAR Council Chairman Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik.

In light of this project, UTAR DSSC and FMHS held an eye test training for project’s student helpers. The training was conducted by FMHS Department of Surgery Prof Dr Jenny Parameshvara Deva on 1 September 2016 at Sungai Long campus, where Tun Ling showed his enthusiastic support by attending.

Prof Jenny training the student helpers

There were over 30 student helpers trained in order to screen through 111 primary schools students whom will be joining UTAR English Tuition on 10 September 2016.

This project is aiming at new village primary schools students, especially those from needy families. According to a survey done by Prof Jenny, more than 42% of primary school students did not know they need spectacles when their eyesight became poorer. Another research has shown that low income families often cannot afford to buy spectacles for their children when they require it.

From left: Tun Ling and Toh Puan Ena Ling listening to the progress of the project from Prof Jenny and DSSC Head Fook Oi Yee

Prof Jenny said, “We are now only testing on the students that will be visiting us for the English Tuition. When we are ready, we will introduce this project to more new village primary schools to reach more children. According to the research that has been done, we found out that they can be classed into three major groupings, which are ‘New Correction’, ‘Newly Needed’, and ‘Normal”. Student helpers will be trained to identify which grouping the children belong to.”