Malaysia needs more optometrists!

The Malaysian Health Ministry is urging public and private Universities to offer more places for study in optometry to improve eye health services in Malaysia.

Its minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said Optometry is a field that offers a bright future, career wise.

"Currently, many students only think of becoming doctors," he said.

According to him, our country's Optometrist to population ratio is 1:22,460 compared to developed countries at 1:8000 ratio.

There are 1,502 Optometrists nationwide as of July this year, with 295 people of whom served in the Ministry of Health, specialist hospitals (42), non-specialist hospitals (30) and two health clinics.