Lions Club Zone Malta this morning donated glaucoma (eye disease) screening equipment worth over €50,000 to replace equipment which has been in use for the past 15 years in government health centres.
The funds were raised through a donation from Lions Club International, the Good Causes Fund, and local fund-raising events by Lions Clubs.
The equipment includes six Tonometers which are used to detect glaucoma and a Visual Field Machine which checks the strength of the optic nerve. The machine will replace an old one at the Paola health centre while the Tonometers will replace those used at the Floriana, Qormi, Paola, Gzira, Mosta and Birkirkara health centres.
The presentation was made to Parliamentary Secretary Joe Cassar who expressed his appreciation and said the social responsibility of NGOs and businesses was increasing, especially with regards to healthcare.
Head of Ophthalmology Department in Mater Dei Hospital Martin Francalanza said that since 1995, the old equipment was used by some 4,000 patients every year.