Albany residents to receive free eye exams

August 12, 2010

In Albany, New York, residents will be able to get a free eye exam if they visit a 45-foot mobile eye clinic this week. The effort is being provided by VSP Vision Care and the Georgia Optometric Association, along with the Samaritan Clinic, according to the Albany Herald.

The event is open to both adults and children who have made a pre-set appointment. There will be approximately 85 people visiting the clinic during the two days it is available.

"In an eye exam, you can detect a lot of diseases," Kim Rankin, the operations manager of the mobile clinic, told the news source. "The eye is the only part of the body that you can look directly into and look at the blood vessels."

The mobile clinic in Albany is one of three such vehicles that provides free healthcare to low-income families who cannot afford health insurance. The trucks have been in operation since 2008.

Regular eye examinations are important for both adults and children, and can help detect vision problems early on, before they develop into something difficult to treat, according to the American Optometric Association.according to the Albany Herald.