Currently, the eye care facility sees more than 28,000 patients a year but once the expansion is complete, the University of Waterloo says it will double the number of patients on a yearly basis.The schools says the new Waterloo Eye Institute will expand the delivery of essential eye and vision care, such as comprehensive eye exams, low vision rehabilitation services, dry eye disease treatment and myopia control.
The institute will also now be home to largest vision science research hub in North America, including a national tele-optometry centre, which will bring access to eye and vision care to remote and Indigenous communities across Canada. Dr. Carol Cressman, who is heading the fundraising campaign, says that there is a growing vision crisis in Canada.
“Poor vision can severely impact a person’s quality of life,” the optometrist stated. “It is startling to know that one in five Canadians are already at risk of losing their sight due to eye disease, and that it’s expected this figure will double in the next thirty years.”