The Health Ministry is urging individuals with diabetes to prioritize their eye health.

This as the Colonial War Memorial Hospital Eye Clinic saw over 8,000 patients under their diabetes program last year.

CWM Eye Clinic Head, Dr. Luisa Cikamatana, says close to 2,000 of them have undergone laser treatment.

Dr. Cikamatana says early detection of diabetic retinopathy is vital, which a serious complication is resulting from prolonged high blood sugar levels.

CWM Eye Clinic Head, Dr. Luisa Cikamatana

She emphasizes the profound impact of diabetes on patients’ eyes.

“Once diabetes affects the eyes, it damages the nerves—the nerves that control your central vision or colour vision—and we can’t repair that, and we can’t get back your vision that’s lost.”

Dr. Cikamatana stresses the importance of regular follow-up appointments.

“It all goes back again to COVID: we’ve lost some to follow up on and also some that have had uncontrolled diabetes that have come back and have progressed to proliferation.”

She is calling on diabetic patients to get their eyes checked regularly to diagnose potential issues early on and prevent complications that can lead to vision loss.