School learners taken to optometrists, academic performance enhanced

Dr Mangaliso Mahlaba, Chief Operating Officer of Thebe Ya Bophelo Healthcare Administrators.

One of the learners going through an eye test.

Learners at Kwa Guqa Primary School in Witbank being prepared to see an optometrist.

Heeding government’s call for corporate participation in assisting learners with eye care, Thebemed Medical Scheme has moved to the second phase of its eye care drive in disadvantaged communities, where school learners were taken to optometrists within their regions following their initial eye tests which were conducted on school premises in October.

This initiative involves visiting schools around the country in partnership with Preferred Provider Network (PPN) through their Masibonisane campaign. This week the initiative visited Rustenburg and Witbank schools where a number of Grade One learners were given a thorough and professional eye examination. School learners being tested were those who had shown signs of poor sight during the first phase of the campaign in October.

Dr Mangaliso Mahlaba, Chief Operating Officer of Thebe Ya Bophelo Healthcare Administrators says: “We strive to help these young future leaders at an early age to ensure that any challenges or problems that relate to their vision are picked up and managed. Most eye ailments can be cured if they are detected early in their development stages. It is hard enough to learn when you can't read and for many, the biggest challenge they face isn't just solving a math problem, but also seeing it.”

The initiative will ultimately provide spectacles to learners who require them after the optometrists’ diagnosis, while some learners will receive treatment if necessary.

“The majority of these learners come from lower-income families and the cost of eye-care is often prohibitive. They generally lack the resources to visit an optometrist. We are motivated by the desire to assist these learners to perform well at school and are confident that this assistance will make a real difference in furthering their educational goals,” adds PPN Manager, Thulani Booysen.