'pop eye' disease is most probably due to water quality, u can wait for few days for the cleaner wrasse to adapt to the tank. Sometimes it take one week plus to recover. I don't think it is fatal to the fish.
The reporter had not done background research with regards to the history/development of marine fish hobby and shows much ignorance in this article. Hopefully, will not see another wave of 'nemo craze' in SG....