A day in the life of Singapore’s animal eye doctor

Key Concepts: Veterinary Ophthalmology, Animal Eye Surgery, Geriatric Birds, Mandai Reserve, Cataract Surgery.

Veterinary Ophthalmology Practice

The speaker, a veteran ophthalmologist, describes their primary role as examining the eyes of various animals. The range of animals they've treated is extensive, including seals, elephants, eagles, toucans, penguins, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, chinchillas, and even a frog. They specifically mention a lion cub as the most intimidating patient, emphasizing that even a cub's growl was enough to cause apprehension.

Daily Schedule and Surgical Load

A typical workday is divided into two main segments. From 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the ophthalmologist performs eye surgeries, typically completing three to four procedures per day. The afternoon, from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM, is dedicated to consultations, which are scheduled back-to-back.

Mandai Reserve Project and Geriatric Birds

The speaker explains that their involvement with the Mandai Reserve project stemmed from the need to address vision problems in geriatric birds. Many of the older birds at the Jurong Bird Park suffered from impaired vision. The goal was to restore their sight, enabling them to relocate to the new Mandai Reserve and thrive in their new environment. The implication is that cataract surgery or similar procedures were performed to improve the birds' vision.