A new service was rolled out yesterday to help those facing the ordeal of waning eyesight.

The Low Vision Aids Service was introduced as part of the Ophthalmic Outpatient Department at Mater Dei Hospital to help people with low vision.

Health Minister Joe Cassar explained that patients will be assessed by professionals and directed towards the best aid suited to their needs.

Visual aids include a range of reading magnifiers that emit light, electronic aids which magnify letters and special glasses to watch television.

Patients are given the opportunity to test the aid at hospital, and it may even be loaned out for a couple of days, before buying it. Visual aids cost around €80.

Department manager Thomas Fenech stressed, however, the service would not be of any use to those who had completely lost their sight. “We are targeting that low percentage of people who have a limited amount of vision but not enough to allow them to function properly in everyday life.

“We are expecting to see around 200 people in a year, mostly people suffering from extreme myopia and pensioners whose deteriorating eyesight is age-related.”

Patients would need to be referred to the clinic by their doctor.

Apart from the type of condition affecting the patient’s vision, the examination will also take into account the type of activity most important for the individual, be it reading or watching television.

The service, run by Martin Francalanza, will start operating from today. Preparation started a year ago when foreign consultants were brought over to train staff.

More than 30,000 people visit the department each year. Last year saw around 5,000 eye operations in Mater Dei, 3,000 of which were on cataracts.