Over 100 potential cases of glaucoma were identified yesterday during an open day that saw hundreds of people go for a check-up at health centres.

Tens of people queued at the Floriana health centre to be examined and principal orthoptist Martin Francalanza said the same situation happened in the other five health centres.

"We were surprised at the number of people who decided to have their eyes checked today," Dr Francalanza said, adding that last year just 100 people went for the check-up during the open day.

Glaucoma is a silent disease that can lead to blindness but the damage can be halted if caught early, although the damage to the nerves cannot be reversed.

Almost 800 people went to have their eyes checked and 110 potential cases were given an appointment to be reassessed and start treatment. "They could have remained undiagnosed until it was too late," Dr Francalanza said.

Maria Grazia Farrugia, from Żurrieq, was one of the people who went for the check-up yesterday morning. "My father went blind at 78 and even my brother has glaucoma. I thought it was important to have the test," she said, adding she was given the all-clear.

Marika Farrugia took her father, Emmanuel, to do a check-up and decided to do so herself. It was the first time she had a glaucoma test, although her father had done it before.

It was the first time Josephine Mangion, from Floriana, did the test. "I had heard about glaucoma before but was always a little scared to do the test but this time I decided to take the opportunity and have my eyes checked," she said.

One woman, who was leaving the Floriana health centre, evidently did not know what glaucoma is. When asked whether she had gone to do the test, she answered she should have done it because she needed to change her spectacles.

She is not alone and, last week, Dr Francalanza said it was believed that more than half the Maltese people did not even know about glaucoma, which is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide and has robbed the sight of an estimated 4.5 million people around the world; this figure is expected to almost triple by 2020.

Tests for glaucoma are carried out at health centres all year round.

More than 700 people were diagnosed with glaucoma last year following screening in the six health centres.