The Malaysian Association of Practising Opticians has petitioned its government to make optical services essential

No country has been spared from the impact of COVID19, which still has a strong hold on patients – and professionals – around the world. Malaysia is no exception, and currently, optometry and optical services have been closed until further notice.

In response to this directive, on Wednesday 13 January, the Malaysian Association of Practising Opticians (MAPO) sent an official request to the Malaysian governing bodies, hoping to categorise Optometry and Optical Services as Essential Services.

MAPO’s president, Mr. Edmund Teng, sent the letter to MKN (Majlis Keselamatan Negara), MITI (Ministry of International Trade and Industry), MOH (Ministry of Health) and MOC (Malaysian Optical Council) before posting it to the association’s Facebook page, receiving hundreds of likes and comments of support.

Citing in his missive the 30% current rate of myopia around the world, President Teng conceded that it might seem that those in need of eye care are a minority. However, he also pointed out that those 30% also accounted for a number of doctors and nurses, as well as other professions on the front line of the pandemic. He argues that preventing these essential workers from filling new prescriptions in the event of breakage or discomfort is a mistake that could cost lives.

Hoping to follow the examples of countries such as Singapore, Australia and the UK, MAPO hopes to convince the government to open up eye care services to urgent cases only, following strict protocols and fulfilling an urgent need with controllable risk.

You can read the entire appeal here.