D'ON'T TREAT FADING SIGHT AS AN UNAVOIDABLE SYMPTOM OF AGING
Dr Ummi Kalthom (front row, centre) with doctors, HTAR staff and guests at the Cataract Carnival in Klang. — KK SHAM/The Star
Delayed medical care is leaving older adults increasingly vulnerable to avoidable vision loss and blindness.
Selangor Health Department director Dr Ummi Kalthom Shamsudin said cataracts were the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in the elderly.
“Most of the time, senior adults delay getting early treatment due to the misconception that vision loss is an unavoidable part of ageing,” she said at the Cataract Carnival organised by the Ophthalmology Department at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) in Klang, Selangor.
A large crowd turned up at the five-day carnival themed #LoveYourEyes held in conjunction with World Sight Day 2026.
“Cataract is the clouding of the eye’s lens that causes blurred vision.
“Normally, the eye’s lens is clear and serves as a focal point of light onto the retina.
“If the lens is cloudy, it will distort the reflection of light and the retina gets less light,” said Dr Ummi Kalthom.
She noted that delaying seeking medical services was common among the elderly, which then led to disease progression.
“Selangor’s population stands at 7.2 million, with an estimated 850,000 elderly above age 65.
“Consistent eye checkups are important for senior citizens.
“Most older adults or their families assume fading vision is just old age rather than a treatable medical condition,” she said.
According to Dr Ummi Kalthom, cataract surgery is a simple and one of the most cost-effective medical procedures providing immediate and lasting restoration of sight.
She said people who have cataracts struggle from vision deterioration in both eyes.
“But many people consult the ophthalmologists after their cataracts are already fully mature.
“We have cases of people who believe they have to wait until their cataracts are mature before they can have a surgery.
“If a person waits, it becomes difficult to treat, so it is wise to visit an ophthalmologist early.”
HTAR Ophthalmology Department head Dr Nurull Bahya Suliman said since cataracts developed slowly, people often adapt poorly to their diminishing sight until daily activities like reading a newspaper or walking become difficult.
“In 2025, HTAR Ophthalmology specialist clinic received a total of 55,000 patients,” she said, adding that it treated an average of 300 patients per day.
“We handle close to 3,900 eye surgeries a year, 2,800 of which are cataract surgeries,” said Dr Nurull.
She said 2,200 cases were done at HTAR while the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council paid for 600 cases at Hospital Selayang Cataract Surgery Centre.
She further said the workload of the Ophthalmology Department was not limited to cataract surgeries alone.
“As a cluster hospital, HTAR and Hospital Shah Alam also function as subspecialty referral centres for glaucoma, vitreoretina, paediatric ophthalmology and medical retina for Selangor.
“It also receives glaucoma emergency cases from Sarawak.”
She added that after the carnival, a total of 290 patients underwent cataract operations, with 170 cases treated at HTAR and 120 cases at Hospital Shah Alam.
