Ophthalmic Assistants Training Program
Opththalmic Assistants (OAs) are the mid-level ophthalmic professionals. They perform eye examination, diagnose most of the ocular disorders, treat common ocular disorders, practice refraction and prescribe eye glasses/contact lenses, perform various investigative procedures, identify cases requiring specialist care and refer them to the ophthalmologists, assist the ophthalmologists in various types of ocular surgeries and other sophisticated procedures perform minor extra ocular surgeries independently carry out pre-operative and post-operative care, provide eye health education and counseling, organize and manage eye camps and conduct other community outreach activities such as school eye health program, etc. run the primary eye care centers acting as an in charge and conduct community level primary eye care trainings.
Owing to their proven outstanding performance and efficiency, the OAs are regarded as the back bone of the eye care services in Nepal.
The history of the inception of the training of this cadre of human resource is three decades long. Following the Nepal Blindness Survey (1980/81) a master plan was formulated in order to develop and expand the eye care services in Nepal. To develop the required human resource, ophthalmologists were produced by sending Medical officers abroad for the training. At the same time it was strongly felt necessary to develop the cadre of ophthalmic paramedical who could perform the aforementioned activities. For this purpose, three batches of OA training were conducted under the Government of Nepal / WHO Prevention and control of Blindness Programme (PBL) starting from 1981. As this training was very effective and successful to serve its purpose, it was continued under Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) in affiliation to the council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT). The training was conducted at Himalaya Eye Hospital, Pokhara and Lumbini Eye Institute, Shree Rana Ambika Shah Eye Hospital, Bhairahawa.
About 400 OAs have been produced so far under this training program. This training program was conducted in skill based basis till the year 2009. And now, since the year 2010 this training program is being conducted as an academic course as Diploma in Ophthalmic Science. Brief description about the training program is given below:
| Yearly Intake: |
40 Seats |
| Course Duration: |
3 academic years. All the students will have to study the first year course at Lumbini Eye Institute, Bhairahawa. For the second and third year course the students will be divided in four groups of 10 students each in average and one group each will have to study at Lumbini Eye Institute, Bhairahawa, Himalaya Eye Hospital, Pokhara, Geta Eye Hospital, Geta Kailali, and Sagarmatha Choudhary Eye Hospital, Lahan Siraha. |
| Eligibility for application: |
The candidates must have passed S.L.C or equivalent examination in at least has second division from recognized institute with compulsory Mathematics, English and Science subjects. |
| Note: |
the quotas for scholarship, sponsorship, entrance examination and selection criteria are as per the provision of the CTEVT rules and regulation. |
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- December 6 2011
Two separate Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were signed on December 5, 2011 by the Embassy of India, Kathmandu with Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) for providing grant assistance of NRs. 4.42 crores to NNJS for eye care programme in various districts of Nepal during the year 2011-2012. The MOU will cover the cost of conducting over 15,000 cataract surgeries and also provide over 9,300 optical devices to vision impaired children through mobile screening camps to be held in various schools of Nepal as a ‘National Eye Sight Programme’. India will provide additional assistance of NRs. 0.18 crores for conducting 1000 Trachoma surgeries to the NNJS during the year 2011-2012.
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