Lopez-led Asian Eye Institute, the country’s eye care center with the widest network of eye clinics, has introduced alternative clinic procedures and services to safely continue serving eye patients who need urgent treatment, including surgical procedures, even in the midst of the pandemic.
Asian Eye’s alternative services offer safety and convenience, especially for senior citizens and people with weakened immune system; as well as for patients who do not live near a health or eye care center, or whose
movements are restricted by quarantine rules or by lack of transportation.
“Staying home is an important way to limit the spread of Covid-19, but we still need to make sure that patients receive their much-needed care for eye problems, like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, which require regular monitoring to prevent blindness,” said Asian Eye Chief Operating Officer Alwin Sta. Rosa.
“Our new services and procedures represent Asian Eye’s response to the most pressing concern of eye patients -- how to continue receiving eye care, products and medication in the safest manner even in a pandemic,” Sta. Rosa added.
Asian Eye offerings include video teleconsultations, electronic prescriptions and online delivery services that allow patients to get their eye care needs --- glasses, contact lenses, protective eyewear and medicine -- without leaving their homes. For online services and teleconsultations, patients are advised to click on this link <http://bit.ly.com/AEIShop>.
“But if during the teleconsultation the doctor recommends an in-clinic checkup, then we refund the teleconsultation fee in favor of a by-appointment clinic checkup. Teleconsultation is our way of screening patients to determine whether they truly need to leave their homes for more comprehensive checkups,” Sta.
Rosa explained.
“All Asian Eye healthcare staff wear personal protective equipment. To limit close contact between medical staff and patients, we also instituted low-touch consultations and installed droplet shields on the slit-lamp machines that doctors use to look into patients’ eyes. Equipment and facilities are also routinely disinfected using hospital-grade disinfectants and ultraviolet light sterilizers,” Sta. Rosa added.
“As part of our health protocols, we ask patients requiring surgery to undergo rapid antigen tests with results released within 15 to 30 minutes. If the patients test positive for Covid-19, we advise them to defer their surgery until they no longer have an active coronavirus infection,” he added.
Asian Eye treats only patients with eye problems; thus, the patients can rest assured they will not encounter within Asian Eye premises others who are undergoing treatment for respiratory and non-eye illnesses.
Asian Eye also implements stringent clinic procedures and policies, such as limits on the number of patients per day, as well as temperature checks and health screenings of all people going inside its clinics. It also advises patients with appointments to each bring only one companion during their clinic visits to ensure physical distancing among patients.
Dr. Amadeo Veloso, Asian Eye retina and vitreous disease specialist, reminds the public to schedule a teleconsult as soon as possible in the following situations: changes in vision (blurry, wavy or blank spots), eye injury no matter how minor, an increase in floaters and flashes in your vision, sudden loss of some vision, or red eye or eye pain, especially if it is along with headache, nausea or vomiting.