Optometrist and Optician Bill

Proceed to Suntec Convention Hall to participate in Forum Discussion, hosted by the Singapore Optometric Association.

The main agenda is to discuss on the introduction of the Optometrist and Optician Bill.

Next I proceed to Ministry of Health, College of Medicine Building, Conference Room, for Lunch Meeting at the invitation of Minister Khaw at 1pm sharp.

The invitees, 7 of us, consist of representatives from: Singapore Optometric Association, Singapore Contact Lens Society and Association Of Contact Lens Practitioners (Singapore) –ACLEP(S).

Minister Khaw was accompanied by Minister of State (Health), Mr Heng Chee How, Director of Medical Services Prof Satku, and a few other officials from MOH.

We were served 5 courses of healthy and delicious food.

Most of the discussion centered on the newly introduced Optometrist and Optician Bill. Minister Khaw and his officials gave us a better picture of how the Bill is introduced and the process in the administrating it.

Many Thanks to Minister Khaw and his officials, for the lunch invitation.

Reading Festival@Katong Community Centre

It was a busy day including a Lunch Meeting with Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

Starting the day @9am, accompanied our MP for Marine Parade GRC, Mr Lim Biow Chuan, in gracing the events of Reading Festival at Katong Community Club.

The cute little boys and girls are from all the kindergartens in Mountbatten Constituency, (PCF’s centers and School House by the Bay), went up on stage to tell stories.

They are later led to various classrooms to continue with story telling. Several popular mascots visit them in their classroom. The children are so adorable.

Many thanks to Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan

This is a Memorable Day for our Optometry Profession.

The Optometrists and Opticians Bill was introduced in Parliament, after advocating it for more than 30 years.

Many thanks to Minister of Health, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, who agreed to consider the introduction of the Bill, after a few of us, representing the profession, met him two years ago.
Many of our population are still confused with the difference of the role between the optometrist and optician.

Optometrist, sometime also known as ophthalmic optician, is trained to assess and correct visual defect with optical or visual aids, and also to screen and diagnose any anomalies of the eyes, and to refer the patient to ophthalmologist for management and treatment when necessary.

Optician, sometimes also known as dispensing optician, is trained to fill and dispensed the necessary optical or visual aids as prescribed by the optometrist.

As the present pool of optometrists may be insufficient to take care of our present population, we agreed to allow those registered optician, who are untrained in optometry to continue checking the eyes of anyone above the age of 7 years old. The polytechnic will provide them with the training of eyes refraction.

http://www.parliament.gov.sg/

吸烟危害眼睛

验光师协助宣导 吸烟危害眼睛讯息

新加坡本地的验光师和配镜师，愿意接受新使命，帮助烟客戒烟。调查显示，人们对双目失明的恐惧更甚于害怕罹患肺癌和心脏病。

保健促进局同全国验光师合作，鼓励烟客戒除恶习，以免因为吸烟而导致眼疾，甚至失明。

抽烟不但会导致干眼症，也是老年黄斑病变的一个重要构成因素。老年黄斑病变是一种视网膜退化疾病，指的是视网膜中央的黄斑区出现异样，导致视力受影响。 这种病症是55岁以上年长人士、导致双目失明的最常见眼疾。保健促进局同亚历山大医院的调查显示，有六成的验光师和配镜师愿意担任戒烟大使，劝请顾客戒烟。

保健促进局决定通过在职训练，让所有验光师和配镜师都具备协助顾客、戒除烟瘾的技能。

(新传媒新闻报道)

卫生部将立法管制验光师与配镜师

吴俍祥新传媒新闻报道，


新加坡验光师协会透露，管制验光师和配镜师的法令将在明年生效，到时只有验光师才能为小一或以下的儿童配眼镜。 很多眼镜行，都会由验光师或者配镜师，为患有近视的儿童验光和配制眼镜，但验光师协会认为，不是每个配镜师都可以胜任。


原来在2000名配镜师当中，拥有证书资格的，只占总数的十分之一。协会大力支持卫生部，为验光师和配镜师制定专业指导准则。 新加坡验光师协会副主席表示，“当一个小孩戴错误的眼镜的话，他们不会讲出来，他们继续戴，这会伤害他们的眼睛。第二个理由是我们新加坡的近视率很高，排名第一在世界上，如果要真正处理这个问题，我们应该从他们儿童很小的时候就应该要处理得很好。”


目前每十个小学生当中有五个患有近视。协会说，所有的验光师和配镜师得在今年年底向管制局注册，当局将要求没有正式资格的配镜师或验光师参加提升课程，以达到所需的标准。


“他们上完提升课程过后，这些费用应该不会转嫁给消费者，主要这些课程都是短暂性的，而且费用应该不会高。” 协会表示，目前本地有600名验光师，而所有的隐形眼镜师也将被注册为验光师或配镜师。 据了解，卫生部将制定一项新的验光师和配镜师新法令，取代现有的隐形眼镜执业法令，新的法令将涵盖隐形眼镜执业法令的相关部分。

隐形眼镜师必须有执照

消费者配隐形眼镜时，得先询问眼镜师是否有执照，跟着再确定他名字，同执照上的名字相同。 好的隐形眼镜师不会轻易售卖隐形眼镜，尤其是即用即丢的隐形眼镜。


当一个人来买即用即丢的隐形眼镜时，我们坚持会跟他检查，如果不让，建议对方给给医生检查后，再倒回来。如果不检查的话，眼睛如有受损，因为之前的隐形眼镜，会导致更严重的问题。


据了解，购买即用即丢的隐形眼镜的消费者中，每十名就有三名不晓得自己的眼睛有问题，却坚持要带隐形眼镜。 这是卫生科学局自2001年，负责监管隐形眼镜师的职业操守以来，第一次发现有人违法，消费者要是发现隐形眼镜师有问题，请马上向当局举报。

戴时尚隐形眼镜 10小时后险失明

现在的隐形眼镜花样很多，除了能让瞳孔变成各种颜色，还有一种戴了，能让你拥有一对水汪汪的大眼睛。不过台湾一名女子戴了这种隐形眼镜戴得太久，结果摘除的时候，居然连眼角膜也一起剥了下来。

角膜损伤病患吴小姐说，“这是上面有我角膜的隐形眼镜，它现在干掉了。” 戴上俗称娃娃镜片的隐型眼镜，结果差点失明，吴小姐越说越气。 她说，“直到医生那边，医生才说我的眼角膜已经跟隐形眼镜都拔掉了。”

“痛得很想要自杀，而且是那种眼睛完全无法睁开，就像瞎了一样。”

为了让眼睛看起来水汪汪，吴小姐戴了这片瞳孔放大隐形眼镜10个小时后，要摘除时却连眼角膜也剥下来，严重影响了视力。 她说，“我现在连揉眼睛都不行，医生说随时会爆裂。” 虽然这种娃娃镜片非常受艺人欢迎，但是医生还是提醒，染色镜片透氧气度比较低，容易造成眼睛干涩，不能戴太久，否则很容易造成眼角膜受损。

Ping.sg meet-up

Had a fun day at Far East Plaza! Never feel so young for a long long time. After mixing and playing with the ping.sg members (all are very young …right….including the hot ECL…chio …chio d …gal2). So no more calling me hhdu, the correct one is hhdkk, and what is dk doing in the middle? :)

After interacting with them for more than an hour, I left with ECL to Wisma Atria to have my lunner (lunch & dinner) and shop for some urgent items.

When we returned to the ping.sg booth at around 7pm, all of them have already disappeared. We believed they should be somewhere gobbling food, thought of calling dk, but both of us are very tired, we proceeded home. But what a loss, the whole group not only went for Ayam Penyet but also gathered at Starbucks with so many chiobus .... aiyah!

Happy Birthday, Eastcoaslife!

I dedicate the launch of my blogging to my beautiful gf/mistress/lover, known to the blogosphere as EASTCOASTLIFE.

I registered my this blog on her birthday. The first post will be on the celebration.

I have made plan for a romantic celebration about a month ago. I made an arrangement for a romantic night out in the open sea on a yacht, but her Chinese business associates also surprised her with their visit.

I have read coolinsider's blog on Café Del Mar in Sentosa, and was attracted by the romantic atmosphere. As we were about to enter Sentosa Gateway that evening, the staff called to confirm our attendance. When we checked with her on the reservation at the lounge area which is by the seaside, and more romantic, we were told that our reservation was only for dining. We were so pissed off as the outdoor lounge was what we were going there for.

I decided to change our location to Holland Village. We went to MichelAngelo Restaurant, and were lucky to get a table without a reservation. We made our orders.

When the food came, we spent about 10 min. taking the photos. One of the waiters reminded us a number of times that the food was turning cold, and even offered to take photos for us (perhaps so we could start eating our food sooner).

When I tried my Black Cod in coffee syrup, served with macadamia nuts and mint jelly,
Whoo .. it simply tasted delicious! When I looked up at ECL, she was licking her own lips, with her eyes almost closed, could see that she also enjoyed her Charcoal Grill Lamb. We shared the Eggplant Tower, which we also enjoyed.

I paid the bill for about $100 plus, although it may be expensive, but when I saw the smile on my darling's face, it was money well spent.

After our last visit to Essential Brew, I read the comments on ECL's blog that their Apple Crumble is a must try. As I like anything apples, I am very eager to try it out, so we walked over to EB. We were lucky again to find a seat on the upper floor. We ordered……

I found their desserts very pleasant, but ECL found the Green Tea Cheese cake too strong and bitter. We missed the Strawberry Panna Cotta, which we tried on our last visit.

We wanted to invite DK over to join us, but ECL could not find his phone no. in her new LG Shine handphone. Sorry ah, dk.