Vision loss due to complications of diabetes

According to the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health), a recent survey study showed that there are about 7 million people with diabetes, but more than 50% of them have not been diagnosed; out of 10 diabetic patients, 6 have eye complications, but only a small portion of these are screened and diagnosed early.

It is estimated that from 2016 to present, there are about 320,527 patients with diabetic macular edema in Vietnam. People's awareness is still limited, difficult to access medical services and the cost burden, causing many people to not receive early intervention. The rate of patients with eye complications due to diabetes who are managed and treated is still very low, leading to irreversible vision loss and blindness.

Dr. Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, said that the Department is aiming to build a comprehensive management model for patients with diabetic retinopathy and macular edema at hospitals to help improve the quality of treatment for patients, making an important contribution to the development of ophthalmology at public hospitals, especially at the provincial level.

Accordingly, the 2025 - 2027 period will focus on building and piloting a comprehensive management model at a number of key hospitals. Based on the pilot results, guidelines will be issued in 2027 as a basis for nationwide replication in the 2028 - 2030 period, aiming to increase the proportion of diabetic patients examined and monitored for eye diseases to over 75% by 2030.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mat-thi-luc-do-bien-chung-dai-thao-duong-185250830201350839.htm