september, 2019 | The Health
Current news
07
Empowering Malaysia’s eye care
Malaysia holds 3rd
Optometry Scientific
Conference to improve eye
care services in the country
T
he 3rd Optometry Scientific
Conference was held at the
Putrajaya Marriott Hotel over
two consecutive days, 3rd and
4th August, 2019. The theme,
‘E mp ower ing O ptome tr y
through Value Based Practice’ was brought
to life through an exciting platform in
knowledge sharing among optometrists and
learning about recent advances in optometry
for better quality services.
Johnson & Johnson Vision, who was the
main sponsor for the event, showcased an
ultraviolet simulation to demonstrate how
all contact lenses are not the same.
“Ultraviolet protection is important, as
UV damage may contribute to a number of
common eye diseases. By doing this demon-
stration, we can educate the audience that
there are different types of lenses to suit
various lifestyle needs,” explains Zoey Lam,
the National Sales Manager of Johnson &
Johnson Vision Care.
Beyond technical product knowledge, the
topics also broached the area of eye health
services. Shirley Loh, Associate Director of
Professional Education at Johnson & John-
son Vision Care SEA presented a study that
indicated there may no longer be a gap in
the quality of eye health experience between
Malaysia and Singapore. She stated that the
introduction of National Eye Health Aware-
ness and the Contact Lens Practice Guideline
has helped to ensure the professional stan-
dards continue to uplift in Malaysia.
In line with higher professional standards,
products that provide exceptional perfor-
mance are also in greater demand: “Earlier
this year, we launched in the United States the
ACUVUE® OASYS with transitions lens and
we received TIME’s Best Inventions for 2018.
That shows the kind of disruptive innovation
we are striving for, to push beyond just vision
correction and really deliver on unmet needs.
This is because in the past, optometrists were
only known for correcting vision, but now we
are talking about next-level care such as UV
protection for the eyes and providing sooth-
ing vison for those who require it. Therefore,
our product innovations not only open up a
new category of contact lens but also widens
Linsay Sundram, Assistant Professional Education Manager of Johnson & Johnson
Vision Care explaining to Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Director General of
Health of MOH on eye care awareness.
Zoey Lam, the
National Sales
Manager of Johnson
& Johnson Vision
Care demonstrating
the ultraviolet test to
show how all contact
lenses is not the
same.
Associate Director
Professional Affairs
Johnson & Johnson
Vision Care SEA,
Shirley Loh believes
Malaysia is closing
the gap on eye health
experience.
the scope of optometrists to manage patients
and go above and beyond their expectations,”
added Shirley.
“The uniqueness of ACUVUE® contact
lenses is that the design is based on our
natural eyes. We call it our EYE-INSPIRED™
Design. Therefore whatever we do in terms
of innovating the lens comes into perspec-
tive of what is actually important for the
human eye. We work closely in partnership
with our eye care providers to provide the
right eye care examination and the right
lens that suits each patient,” stated Linsay
Sundram, Assistant Professional Education
Manager of Johnson & Johnson Vision
Care.
“The Ministry of Health also recognises
the importance of prioritising eye health
and the impact it can have on the public
and the nation. Therefore, by working
very closely with them – we can bring the
private and government sectors together to
create better consumer education and eye
health awareness,” concluded Zoey. — The
Health
Linsay Sundram (4th from left), Shirley Loh (5th from left), and Zoey
Lam (6th from left) together with their team at the 3rd Optometry
Scientific Conference.