LEC Eye Centre – possibly the longest serving private eye care centre in the country – has announced a year of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities it will be rolling out in conjunction with its 50th anniversary celebrations.
The announcement was made at an event held at its premises to mark the auspicious occasion.
The event, which was officiated by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, was also attended by state Health, Human Resources, National Integration and Indian Community Affairs chairman Sivanesan Achalingam.
As part of the CSR campaign, LEC will sponsor cataract surgeries for 50 underprivileged patients and 90 pairs of glasses for orphans among the community.
The cataract operations are worth around RM150,000 while the sponsorship of glasses are worth between RM4,000 to RM5,000. More details on the initiative are expected to be announced soon via LEC’s social media channels.
“LEC has been organising a number of CSR initiatives over the years such as LEC’s Blindness Prevention Programme in 2015 and various other awareness activities in schools and charity homes in the state,” said LEC Eye Centre founder and chairman Datuk Dr YC Lee in a statement today (May 20).
“Serving the community is part of our ethos and as we mark our 50th anniversary milestone, we wish to dedicate our 50th year to a series of meaningful Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, further underscoring our dedication to serving those around us.”
LEC’s 50th anniversary CSR campaign, which officially starts today, will also include activities offering free eye assessments and a series of events to educate the public on common eye health issues such as cataract, myopia, dry eyes and glaucoma.
Meanwhile, LEC Eye Centre medical director Dr Lee Mun Wai stressed that eye care awareness is an essential pillar in the management of eye health issues and preventing vision impairment.
“Heightened awareness about eye care encourages individuals to prioritise their vision health, which can lead to a better quality of life,” he remarked.
“One of the eye issues needing increased awareness, particularly among the younger generation, is myopia.
“Not many are aware that Myopia is a silent epidemic and has potentially blinding consequences. Currently, as much as 30% of the world’s population and 20% in Malaysia, are myopic.
“More children are becoming shortsighted at an early age and with increasing dependence on digital devices in our daily activities, myopia will become a major problem within the next few decades.”
Dr Lee said as part of efforts to address this concern, LEC already has a Myopia Control Programme in place and will look to invest further in new treatment strategies to tackle Myopia.
“Digital eye strain, resulting from prolonged use of digital devices is already a common medical complaint we are seeing at our centre,” he said.
“As our reliance on digital devices grows, so does the importance of prioritising eye health. With many individuals using multiple devices throughout the day, there’s a clear need for heightened awareness and emphasis on maintaining optimal eye health.”
On its plans for the future, LEC said that it will prioritise spending on enhancing services, digitalisation, research, adoption of new technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“Clinical services will of course remain our highest priority. Administratively, we will focus on enhancing services through investing in Electronic Medical Records (EMR), system upgrades, training of human resources and new technology in eye care,” said LEC Eye Centre finance director Wendy Lee.
Since 2022, LEC has upgraded its facility and its branch at the Perak Community Specialist Hospital. Over the next two years, it plans to invest on upgrades to new systems and training of its employees.
Another area LEC will be focusing on is research. “Over the years, LEC had been involved in conducting research and sharing of knowledge and expertise at national, regional and international conferences,” Dr Lee elaborated.
“We plan to expand our research capabilities with a bigger team and collaborations with fellow colleagues and industry partners to bring new innovations and technology to our community.” – May 20, 2024
