Free eye screening event set for Sept. 18 at Cape County health center

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct a phone number.

A free eye screening clinic will be Sept. 18 at the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, 1121 Linden St.

The event is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Social Services, with examinations conducted by the University of Missouri Hospital and Clinics' Department of Ophthalmology, assisted by the state social services department's Prevention of Blindness Unit.

Anyone attending the clinic will be screened for visual disorders such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, as well as eye malformations, malfunctions and other vision problems. Examiners cannot write prescriptions for glasses.

Anyone diagnosed at the clinic with a visual problem that requires specific treatment and further examination will be referred to local eye care specialists for a follow-up. Those who meet Prevention of Blindness Program eligibility guidelines will be assisted by the program staff with necessary eye care services.

The clinic will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Anyone interested in attending is advised to call early and schedule an appointment. If there is a lack of community interest, the clinic will be canceled. To schedule an appointment, call the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center at 335-7845, extension 0.

Pertinent address:

1121 Linden St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.