Campaign by Offaly opticians delivers almost 300 free eye exams for children

Teams of optometrists in Edenderry and Tullamore delivered almost 200 hours of free eye examinations to children in a bid to reduce a two-year waiting list to be seen through the HSE.

Two independent practices, Elizabeth Switzer Optometrist in Edenderry and Aidan Walsh Opticians in Tullamore, launched a month-long ‘Back to School’ campaign in January.

The teams described the uptake as “massive” as families snapped up the opportunity for a free eye examination.

Across both practices, almost 300 eye exams were carried out during the campaign - worth more than €12,000 - with both teams saying demand was such that around 200 requests for appointments had to be turned down.

One of the most common issues picked up during the campaign was myopia, otherwise known as short-sightedness. There were also a number of children found to be far-sighted, colour blind or have astigmatism, which is when the eye is an irregular shape and causes blurred vision.

Aidan Walsh Opticians practice director Johnpaul Odigbo explained how historically, children in the area have faced huge backlogs when it comes to HSE eye exams.

He said: “Eye screening is carried out in schools on children from the age of four, which is when most issues are picked up. Children should then be seen by a public health board clinic but for many, they don’t get seen for up to two years. We know that currently, there is only one paediatric ophthalmologist who covers most of the three midland counties. We know the difference that a delay in seeing a specialist can make. For example, if a lazy eye is left untreated, it can become more difficult to reverse it. For many eye conditions, early treatment can make a huge difference in protecting vision.”

Johnpaul added that this can lead to having an impact on a child’s academic progress if they are struggling to see to read at school.

Teams at both practices were gifted chocolates and biscuits as a ‘thank you’ from grateful families.

Elizabeth Switzer Optometrist practice director Beth Byrne said: “When we first announced the ‘Back to School’ campaign, the phone didn’t stop ringing and we worked flat out over the course of the month. Quite often, we saw three or four siblings at the same time. It was so worth it to be able to help that many children and it was very rewarding. The only downside was the number of children we were not able to see but we are looking to repeat this event in the near future.

“It was great to engage with, and educate, children and their parents, particularly around myopia control, knowing we are helping to slow down the rate at which their eyesight may decline. Most of the children were entitled to an HSE voucher for free glasses so we were able to facilitate that for them, making it easier for families.”