On May 13, 2024, a significant endeavor was set in motion as Mr. Suriwat, a member of the Pattaya City Council, embarked on a new business venture. The occasion marked the inauguration of a project aimed at monitoring and bolstering the ocular health of students within educational institutions under the jurisdiction of Pattaya City. Dr. Pittaya Phirom-on, Assistant Secretary to the Mayor of Pattaya City, and Mr. Korn Pattanasin, part of the working group tasked with enhancing the city’s image, joined Mr. Suriwat in presiding over the opening ceremony. Notable attendees included heads of government agencies, educational institution teachers, and pertinent officials, among them Ms. Kasama Bunyawattana, Head of the Health Promotion Department.
The event unfolded at the meeting room of Pattaya City School 4, where the Director of the Health Promotion Division underscored the critical role of vision in the learning process. Stressing its impact on brain development, personality, and overall quality of life, especially during the formative years from birth to nine, the importance of timely and appropriate corrective measures was emphasized. Drawing insights from the Health Technology and Policy Assessment Project (HITAP) under the Ministry of Public Health’s Office of Strategic Policy, findings revealed a concerning rate of ocular abnormalities among kindergarten and primary school students. A striking 11.4% of these anomalies were diagnosed and confirmed by ophthalmologists, with approximately 6.6% indicating actual visual impairments, notably 4.1% requiring corrective eyewear due to nearsightedness.
In response to these findings, efforts to heighten surveillance and intervention for student ocular health were spearheaded by the Bureau of Public Health and Environment through the Health Promotion Department. An academic training session titled “Surveillance and Promotion of Student Eye Health” was organized, bringing together school health teachers and 55 first-grade educators. The objective: to equip teaching personnel with the skills to identify visual irregularities and facilitate referrals to specialist care where necessary, thereby mitigating future vision risks. This concerted effort birthed a robust framework for student eye care, with today’s training session encompassing both theoretical insights and practical ocular health evaluations.
The training session, graced by esteemed personnel from the Bang Lamung District Public Health Office and the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization, showcased their expertise in ocular health assessment and care coordination systems, enriching attendees with invaluable knowledge essential for safeguarding students’ ocular well-being.
