“I have a vision to bring eye care technology and innovation to communities-at-large and underprivileged societies. I strongly believe that technology can help improve awareness on eye health and give better eyesight for all.”
Eye surgeon Claudine Pang is the first woman and the only Singaporean to be awarded the William H. Ross Surgical Vitreoretinal Fellowship at the University of British Columbia. She received this accolade in 2014 and was the 48th fellow to be given this position.
Her peers were hardly encouraging when she first shared she was applying, saying that the position would never be given to a woman as all recipients since the fellowship was introduced in 1986 had been male.
Nurses cheered on her first day at the university. “They were so happy. They came to me and said: ‘We want to hug you. You’re the first female fellow.'”
Her time in Vancouver, as well as at other fellowships in renowned international eye hospitals, has led Dr Pang to where she is today. Aside from having impressive medical credentials, this eye surgeon has entrepreneurial smarts and a big heart too.
Dr Pang founded Asia Retina Eye Surgery Centre early last year, with the intent to make humanitarian work a core part of her practice. In her first year of starting her outfit, she went on three humanitarian trips to Cambodia. And that’s not all – she encourages her children to participate in giving back to needy communities with her, and she has brought them with her on two of these trips.
She has also developed the Asia Retina app which allows users to assess basic visual functions that include visual acuity check, colour vision check and dry eye tests. Singapore’s first mobile app devoted to eye health is free to download.
Two months ago, she also launched Eye Quotient (EyeQ), a social enterprise which aims to bring mobile eye care to corporations and the underprivileged in Singapore. Proceeds from EyeQ are channelled into funding free eye care for the underprivileged.
Watch her video story below.
Read more here.
Source: The Straits Times, 22 December 2019