CHILDREN IN REMOTE AREAS LIKELY TO SUFFER UNDIAGNOSED POOR VISION|統計:偏鄉視力不良就醫率 低於全國平均

As electronic devices become more commonplace, many children in remote areas experience abnormal vision without being aware of it. Coupled with this, is a lack of medical facilities. According to social welfare groups' statistics in Hualien, Taitung and Pingtung, the ratio of children in remote areas with poor vision seeking medical help is 20 percent less than the national average. The mobile vision testing unit comes to Pingtung's Linali Village. The children line up and have their vision checked one by one. The result is that out of 40, 18 have vision problems and 11 of these need glasses to correct their vision. ==HSU HUAN-CHENG Ophemologist== The prevelance of eletronic devices is more or less a contributing factor here. What is worse is that refractive error and eye-strain among children are usually difficult to detect in early stages. Children's ability to adjust to their vision is good and so they may not be aware that they are short sighted and it is easy to go past the stage where they should see an optometrist. In remote areas this problem is easily missed. This child has near sight in one eye, but hasn't been taken to an optometrist by parents, in the long run this may lead to weak vision. ==STUDENT IN RURAL COMMUNITY== (Do your parents know?) Yes. (What was their reaction?) They told me to stay away from smart phones. Apart from children, the elderly in remote areas or those suffering from eye disease often go blind later as they are in remote areas where there is a lack of medical resources and treatment. ==LAWA KUHSIN CEO, Taiwan Prevent Blindness Foundation== In rural areas, the elderly and children who have eye problems have poor access to eye examnations, because it's often quite a journey to the cloest clinic. The Taiwan Foundation for the Blind statistics show that in Hualien, Taitung and Pingtung, the ratio of those seeking medical help for poor vision is 39.72 percent, much lower than the national rate of 64.19 percent. Currently, apart from combining private medical resources to do mobile vision testing in remote areas, the Foundation wants to remind residents to pay more attention to family members' vision, and seek medical help should there be abnormal conditions. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 過去普遍認為，生活在山區或偏鄉的小朋友，因為常常看到青山綠水，所以視力比較好。但因為3C產品普及，有越來越多的偏鄉孩子，視力異常卻不自知。再加上醫療資源不足的狀況，根據社福團體統計資料，以花東和屏東來說，偏鄉學童的視力不良就醫率，比全國平均值還要少20%。 視力篩檢巡迴團隊來到屏東禮納里部落，小朋友排隊，一個接一個檢查視力，結果40位，有18位視力已經有問題，其中11位必須戴眼鏡矯正。 ==醫師 許桓誠== 受到現在3C產品盛行的影響 多多少少會有影響到 尤其就是說小朋友曲光的異常 用眼過度的程度 在早期不容易有症狀 小孩子視力調節能力好，可能近視了還感覺不出來，容易錯過就醫時間，在偏鄉，這樣的問題更容易被忽略，像這名女童，一眼已經近視，但家長還沒帶她就醫，長期下來可能導致弱視。 ==百合國小學生== （你有跟你爸媽講嗎） 有 (他們怎麼說) 沒有說什麼 他們叫我不要玩手機 除了孩子，偏鄉老人或眼疾患者，也常因為地處偏遠，醫療資源不足，缺乏治療導致晚年眼盲。 ==台灣防盲基金會執行長 拉娃谷幸== 老人家和小孩 他們眼睛有問題的時候 去外面做視力的篩檢 其實是一件很困難的事情 因為從部落離開到醫療院所 其實是一段路程 台灣防盲基金會統計，以花東和屏東為例，偏鄉的視力不良就醫率是39.72%，遠低於全國的64.19%，目前除了結合民間醫療資源，巡迴偏鄉做視力篩檢，也希望提醒偏鄉居民多留意家人視力狀況，有異常就要就醫。 記者 王介村 陳顯坤 屏東報導