Heat and dust in UAE call for better eye care

The hot, dusty environment in the UAE and across the Middle East means that residents need to take better care of their eyes in order to avoid certain conditions that affect vision, a renowned ophthalmologist said in the capital on Monday. Road accidents are also a leading cause of vision impairment, noted Dr Bobby Quraishi, medical director of the London Eye Hospital. "While environmental conditions cannot be changed, residents can do a lot on their own to protect their vision, such as eating healthy and avoiding the use of a computer screen for more than five hours a day, especially at a young age." Dr Quraishi was speaking on the sidelines of a conference held under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, to discuss the latest advances in eye surgery techniques. At the event, it was also announced that London Eye Hospital has plans to open a branch in Abu Dhabi soon. The hospital will offer advanced eye care procedures, including a lens implant surgery that eliminates the need for glasses and also helps remove cataracts. Technological advances are also being explored to help patients with diabetic retinopathy, a disease that can lead to irreversible blindness in diabetics without the proper care. "This laser-based technology, which we hope will be available within the next two years, will be especially relevant in the UAE as well as the region, where nearly a quarter of the population suffers from diabetes at present," the expert said. Middle East clientele The decision to open a local branch of the London Eye Hospital was made because nearly 25 per cent of the London-based hospital's international clientele is from the Middle East, Dr Quraishi said. "Most importantly, we hope to make all advanced ophthalmic surgeries available in Abu Dhabi as soon as they are developed and approved in London."