Saudi Arabia: The Global Telangana Forum, a prominent social organization committed to community welfare, successfully organized Eye Care Awareness Seminars in Jeddah and Riyadh. The initiative received an enthusiastic response, with community members eager to learn about eye health and preventive care.
The Jeddah seminar was held at The Village Restaurant, while the Riyadh seminar took place at Zaitoon Restaurant. Both sessions began with Quran Qiraath and a welcome address by Mr. Mohd Layeeq, Vice President of the Global Telangana Forum.
In Jeddah, Mr. Mohammed Jabbar, President and Founder of the Forum, introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Altaf Akbar, a renowned ophthalmologist from Akbar’s Eye Hospital, Hyderabad. The Riyadh event was coordinated by Imtiyaz Shaik, Mohamed Shabir Hussain, Dr. Rizwan, and Nizam, who played a key role in ensuring smooth execution and active participation.
Dr. Altaf Akbar provided a comprehensive overview of common eye diseases, their causes, symptoms, and preventive measures. He simplified medical terms for easy understanding. The key conditions covered included:
- Myopia (Nearsightedness): Difficulty seeing distant objects.
- Hyperopia (Farsightedness): Difficulty seeing close objects.
- Astigmatism: Blurred vision due to an irregular cornea.
- Presbyopia: Age-related difficulty in reading up close.
- Dry Eye Syndrome: Caused by insufficient or poor-quality tears.
- Digital Eye Strain: Resulting from prolonged screen exposure.
- Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): Inflammation due to infections or allergies.
- Cataracts: Clouding of the eye’s lens, leading to blurred vision.
- Glaucoma: Increased eye pressure causing optic nerve damage.
- Macular Degeneration: Age-related damage affecting central vision.
- Diabetic Retinopathy: Vision loss caused by diabetes-related retina damage.
- Eye Allergies: Triggered by dust, pollen, or pet dander.
- Retinal Detachment: A serious condition leading to sudden vision loss.
Dr. Altaf Akbar emphasized preventive measures to maintain good vision, including:
- Eating a nutritious diet rich in Vitamin A, C, and E.
- Drinking plenty of water to avoid dry eyes.
- Maintaining a safe distance from screens to reduce strain.
- Blinking frequently to keep eyes moist during screen use.
- Avoiding reading in dim light or excessive screen brightness.
- Wearing UV-protected sunglasses outdoors.
- Avoiding eye rubbing to prevent infections.
- Limiting screen exposure and adjusting brightness settings.
- Scheduling annual eye checkups for early detection of issues.
- Practicing good hand hygiene and proper contact lens care.
Both seminars concluded with an engaging Q&A session, where attendees asked questions and received expert advice from Dr. Altaf Akbar.
The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Mr. Abdul Jabbar in Jeddah and by Imtiyaz Shaik, Mohamed Shabir Hussain, Dr. Rizwan, and Nizam in Riyadh, expressing gratitude to the speaker and attendees for their participation.
A sumptuous dinner followed each session, allowing guests to continue discussions in an informal setting.
Participants lauded the Global Telangana Forum for its commitment to health awareness and its efforts to organize impactful community programs across Saudi Arabia. The Forum reaffirmed its dedication to hosting more educational initiatives to promote community well-being.
